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India’s top-ranked women’s singles player, Sahaja Yamalapalli, and teenage star Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi have received main draw wildcards for the upcoming WTA 250 Chennai Open, to be played from October 27 to November 2 at the SDAT Tennis Stadium in Chennai.

The tournament, returning to the city after a three-year hiatus, will feature a blend of global experience and young talent. Tatjana Maria, the 37-year-old German veteran and reigning Queen’s Club champion, will be the top seed. Currently ranked World No. 42, Maria made history earlier this year by becoming the oldest WTA 500 champion, defeating Amanda Anisimova in the Queen’s final.

The remaining two wildcard entries have been given to World No. 38 Lois Boisson of France and 16-year-old Slovakian Mia Pohánková (WR #650), adding more youth and diversity to the field.

Indian wildcards: Rising stars on home soil

India’s No.1 Sahaja Yamalapalli, ranked No. 247 in the world, enters the Chennai main draw following an impressive run on the ITF circuit, where she recently grabbed headlines by defeating former US Open champion Sloane Stephens. The 24-year-old also reached a doubles semifinal in Mexico alongside Jessica Gomez, underlining her improving form and consistency.

For 16-year-old Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi, it will be a special homecoming. The Coimbatore-born prodigy, currently No. 649 in WTA singles and No. 58 in the junior rankings, has already featured in all four junior Grand Slams this year — reaching the second round at Wimbledon and the US Open. Since February, she has been training at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, and earlier this year clinched the ITF Grade 2 junior title in Gladbeck, Germany, beating Switzerland’s Noella Manta 6-2, 6-4 — her seventh junior crown.

Star-studded International field

The singles field promises top-quality tennis, with young Czech talent Linda Fruhvirtova (20), former Wimbledon semifinalist and Olympic silver medallist Donna Vekic (World No. 69), and 2024 Wimbledon quarterfinalist Lulu Sun (New Zealand) among the leading contenders.

India’s Karman Kaur Thandi, who reached the second round in the 2022 edition, has secured a direct entry into the qualifying draw this year.

Doubles draw: strong Indian presence

The doubles competition will be led by Storm Hunter (Australia) and Monica Niculescu (Romania) as the top seeds, while Indonesia’s Aldila Sutjiadi and Janice Tjen will be seeded second. Five Indian players will feature in the doubles main draw, with Ankita Raina partnering Shrivalli Bhamidipaty, Rutuja Bhosale teaming up with Riya Bhatia, and Prarthana Thombare joining Arianne Hartono of the Netherlands, with the Thombare-Hartono pair seeded fourth.

With a mix of international veterans and promising homegrown talents, the Chennai Open 2025 is set to serve up a week of world-class tennis and renewed energy for women’s tennis in India.