The dream run of Vaishnavi Adkar and Rutuja Bhosale ended in a runner-up finish at the WTA 250 Chennai Open on Sunday (November 8, 2026) as the home favourites went down 2-6, 0-6 to the Swiss duo of Simona Waltert and Naima Karamoko in the final.

Vaishnavi, 21, and Rutuja, 30, had already created history by becoming the first-ever all-Indian pair to reach the final of a WTA Tour event. They were looking to join former World No. 1 Sania Mirza and Ankita Raina on the list of Indian titlists at this level.

However, in the summit clash which lasted an hour and 10 minutes, they fell well short of causing any trouble for Waltert and Karamoko in front of 700-odd spectators on centre court at the SDAT Stadium in Nungambakkam here.

The Swiss pair got off the blocks quickly and raced to a 4-0 lead in the opener, breaking both the Indians’ serves with ease.

World No. 128 Rutuja and World No. 359 Vaishnavi got one break back as Waltert overcooked a backhand down the line on deciding point in the fifth game. But despite the late resurgence of the home pair, the Swiss duo maintained its slender advantage before breaking Vaishnavi’s serve again to clinch the first set.

Former Doubles World No. 1 Rohan Bopanna, who is Vaishnavi’s mentor and had won the mixed doubles gold with Rutuja at the Hangzhou Asian Games, came down from the stands to the players’ box to encourage the two though the second essay turned out to be completely one-sided. World No. 99 Karamoka showed why she was the best doubles player on the court with her impressive poaching skills on multiple occasions while Waltert, predominantly a singles player, kept things solid from the baseline.

Karamoko won her maiden Tour-level title while for Waltert, it was her second after the triumph in Lausanne in 2021 with compatriot Susan Bandecchi.

“We played together for the first time and won the title, so it couldn’t be better. I really hope we can play some more weeks together and we’ll try to enjoy this one as long as possible,” said the 29-year-old Karamoko.

“It’s amazing to win a title and to actually finish the last tournament of the season like this. We played at a great level throughout the week. We got used to each other a bit more and yes, it was a really fun game to spend the week together and I’m looking forward to many more matches with Naima,” added Waltert.

The doubles final began at 4 p.m. but the Deepavali fireworks had already started. Playing in such an atmosphere was a challenge for the Swiss duo. “Actually, we have never played in such a situation. You can still hear them (the fireworks) now. It was a bit disturbing at the beginning of the week and now, we almost don’t hear them anymore,” said Karamoko.

“They (the organisers) also told us that it’s going to be the worst today (in terms of fireworks). So, we were also prepared and that’s how we adapted and dealt with it,” added the 25-year-old Waltert.

Champions Karamoko and Waltert received USD 13,600 while runners-up Vaishnavi and Rutuja earned USD 7,650 in prize money. Aadhav Arjuna, Tamil Nadu’s Minister for Public Works and Sports Development, presented the two pairs with their respective trophies.