WTA 250 Chennai Open starts Monday amid storm warnings

The third edition of the WTA 250 Chennai Open begins on Monday at the SDAT Stadium in Nungambakkam, Chennai, with the India Meteorological Department forecasting thunderstorms and lightning for Monday and Tuesday that could disrupt play.

Held in the final week of a long season, the tournament presents contrasting incentives for players — some arrive fatigued while others see a chance to gather ranking points — a dynamic organisers expect to influence outcomes at the event's main draw.

The entry list is not particularly strong, with Indonesian World No. 47 Janice Tjen, the reigning champion, and Austrian World No. 53 Lilli Tagger seeded one and two respectively.

No Indian player qualified for the main draw purely on ranking; the Tamil Nadu Tennis Association awarded wild cards to Vaishnavi Adkar (334), Sahaja Yamalapalli (369) and top Indian female junior Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi (716).

Vaishnavi Adkar, 21, practised at the venue on Sunday, November 1, 2026 (photo credit: R. RAGU), and spoke about the step up in competition: “Against the higher-ranked players, more balls will come back. You have to be physically and mentally stronger to stay in every point,” said the top-ranked Indian on the eve of the tournament.

Last year the first two days of the main draw were completely washed out, and the India Meteorological Department’s forecast of thunderstorms and lightning for Monday and Tuesday raises the risk of similar interruptions; organisers will also introduce Electronic Line Calling on all three match courts for the first time in the tournament’s history.

This edition will be the last Tour-level event in India for the foreseeable future, with the WTA 250 tournament scheduled to move to the Philippines next year, making Monday’s start the final domestic staging at Tour level.