29-07-2025
Vaishnavi Adkar from Pune wins bronze in tennis at World University Games
In a historic breakthrough for Indian tennis, 20-year-old Vaishnavi Nihar Adkar from Pune clinched a bronze medal at the World University Games in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany, becoming the first Indian woman ever to achieve the feat and ending India's 46-year-long medal drought in the sport at the Games.
The last medal was won by Nandan Bal in Mexico in 1979.
Speaking at a media interaction, Adkar recalled the intensity of the competition, 'I was not expecting it to be that tough, most of them were from US colleges, and even though their rankings weren't very high, the level of play was extremely high.'
Adkar, who lost in the semi-final to Eszter Meri of Slovakia, noted that her bronze medal match was her last shot, 'Even though it was a bronze medal match, I didn't feel very anxious or anything. I just went into the match thinking about giving my best and making the most out of the opportunity I had', she told The Indian Express.
Despite missing out on a higher finish, Adkar remains grounded and grateful. 'The goal was definitely to win gold, but I'm glad that I could at least win a medal. I'm just trying to process it all,' said an elated Vaishnavi, making her family and coaches proud.
Her father Nihar Adkar, who was present at the conference, grew emotional while recounting the medal moment. 'When the live telecast was going on, I couldn't get up from my chair,' he said. 'It was such a proud moment for me that my daughter could achieve something like this. I couldn't believe when one of the commentators said during the broadcast she is the first Indian woman to win the World University Championship in tennis.'
Reflecting on her semi-final loss, Adkar explained, 'I started really well in the first set. I was playing very aggressively and got a lot of points. But in the second set, the conditions became slower, the balls had become heavy. The rallies got longer, and it came down to just a couple of points which I couldn't convert.'
Veteran tennis player and former medalist Nandan Bal, also present at the press meet, praised Adkar's feat and the significance of her win. 'This is an event that comes with extreme competitiveness. I would name such a tournament as the mini Olympics,' said Bal, who added that Adkar's win is finally giving the tournament the attention it deserves.
'Her historic achievement is not just a personal milestone, but a moment of pride for Indian tennis, especially for a young women athlete who believes in giving her best, regardless of the odds, and all I see is a good future ahead', the veteran noted.
Vaishnavi has already set her sights on bigger goals. 'My goal is to come into the top 300 in the next four to five months. And I'm aiming for the Indian team at the Billie Jean King Cup in November,' she told The Indian Express. She also added that she is next headed to Serbia to play a series of ITF (international tennis federation) tournaments in Europe.
