The home crowd had plenty of hope, but Indian women’s singles players suffered first-round exits at the Mumbai Open 2026, as overseas players proved too strong on the opening day of the WTA 125 tournament.
Despite moments of promise, none of the Indian players was able to progress to the second round at the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association courts.
Sahaja falls after competitive start
India’s highest-ranked player in the draw, Sahaja Yamalapalli, showed resilience early on but lost 7-5, 6-2 to Japan’s Eri Shimizu. Sahaja stayed competitive in the first set, pushing her opponent with long rallies, but Shimizu’s consistency helped her pull away as the match wore on.
Shrivalli, Vaishnavi unable to break through
Shrivalli Bhamidipaty was unable to find answers against Russia’s Kristiana Sidorova, going down 6-1, 6-3. The Russian controlled the tempo from the baseline and kept Shrivalli under pressure throughout.
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Local favourite Vaishnavi Adkar fought hard in her clash against Austria’s Lilli Tagger. Vaishnavi stayed close in both sets but lost 7-5, 6-4 after failing to convert key points late in each set.
Maaya’s run ends in opening round
Wild card entrant Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi, who had impressed at last year’s edition, could not repeat the feat. She was beaten 6-3, 6-2 by fifth seed Lanlana Tararudee of Thailand, who used her experience to close out the match efficiently.
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With Indian singles players exiting early, the tournament now moves forward with a strong international field. Attention will turn to doubles action and upcoming singles rounds as the Mumbai Open continues through the week.
