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India's world number one women's singles player, Sahaja Yamalapalli, has been given a wild card into the main draw at the upcoming Mumbai Open WTA 125K Series, which will be held at the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) in Mumbai.
The main draw is scheduled from February 2-8, 2026. The Indian star will be eager to make her mark against prominent international opponents in the Mumbai Open, as per a press release from MSLTA. In 2025, Sahaja Yamalapalli made positive strides on the court, highlighted by her ITF Tampico campaign, where she reached the Women's Doubles semifinal with Mexico's Jessica Hinojosa Gomeza. She played a major role in India's second-place finish in the Asia-Oceania Group 1 stage of the Billie Jean King Cup in Pune and was also part of the team during the Play-Offs held in Bengaluru. Speaking about receiving the Main Draw Wild Card, the 25-year-old remarked, "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 to play my heart out in every match and give my 100 per cent. 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 will be eager to start the year strong and better her showing from the previous edition of the Mumbai Open, where she exited in the round of 32 after a 3-6, 6-4, 1-6 defeat to Thailand's Lanlana Tararudee. Sahaja Yamalapalli reflected on her performance in the previous edition and shared insights into the improvements she has made in key aspects of her game, saying, "I have made a few changes to my game since the last edition, especially in my serve, and I have seen a massive improvement as a result. I have 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 Mumbai Open." She went on to highlight the importance of the Mumbai Open for young Indian players and said, "The Mumbai Open is extremely important for us since it gives us rare and valuable exposure to top-level competition without the challenges of constant travel and expenses. It is also an inspiration to many young players to see that our country is doing a lot for us players, and this pushes us to give our best." (ANI)
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