On Wednesday, January 28, India’s No. 1 women’s singles player, Sahaja Yamalapalli, earned her entry into the main draw event of the 2026 Mumbai Open WTA 125K Series as a wild card. The series is scheduled to take place from February 2 to 8 at the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) in Mumbai. In the previous edition, Sahaja exited in the Round of 32 match after losing to Thailand’s Lanlana Tararudee by sets of 3–6, 6–4, 1–6.
Following her wildcard entry, Sahaja expressed her excitement about the success and opportunity provided by the MSLTA for her entry in the Mumbai Open as a wildcard.
She said, “I am extremely grateful to MSLTA for giving me the Wild Card. Playing a WTA event at home is always truly special and it means a lot to me. I am going to try and play my heart out in every match and give my 100%. The aim is to go deep in the tournament but the most important thing for me is to show growth as a player and take confidence into the season.”
She further went on to reflect on the mistakes of her performance in the 2025 edition. Exiting in R32, Sahaja reveals that she had implemented more strategies into her game, specifically in her serve, that might end up benefiting her performance.
“I’ve made a few changes to my game since the last edition, especially in my serve, and I’ve seen a massive improvement as a result. I’ve also worked on being tactically disciplined, being consistent under pressure and deciding when to play aggressively. I am really looking forward to showcasing this growth in the upcoming edition of the L&T Mumbai Open,” she added.
Last year, Sahaja made a brilliant performance after reaching the women’s doubles semi-finals event alongside Mexico’s Jessica Hinojosa Gomeza during her ITF Tampico campaign. She also played a crucial role in placing India at No. 2 position at the Asia-Oceania Group 1 stage event of the Billie Jean King Cup held in Pune. Meanwhile, she was also part of the team play-offs match held in Bengaluru.
However, Sahaja’s participation in the L&T Mumbai Open will be one to watch for as she represents India’s tennis prodigy of today. She also aims to inspire and motivate the young tennis stars in India through her progressive work in the sport.
