New Delhi, April 9 -- Starting her journey in Pune at the age of seven, Vaishnavi Adkar built a strong foundation early on, becoming India's No. 1 in the U-14 category and reaching a career-high ITF junior ranking of 115.

Over the past year, she has translated that promise into results on the professional circuit, highlighted by a run to the final of the ITF W100 event in Bengaluru, which showcased the best singles performance by an Indian woman in 17 years, according to a press release.

Before she ran in Bengaluru, Vaishnavi claimed a medal for India at the World University Games and won the National Championships. She followed that up by winning the singles and doubles title at the ITF W35 Kalaburagi Open, continuing her breakthrough ...