Tennis
Tennis: Six Indians in main draw as Bengaluru Open marks landmark 10th edition
India No. 1 Sumit Nagal headlines strong domestic presence at the ATP Challenger 125 event starting January 5 in Bengaluru.
Sumit Nagal during his opening qualifying round at Wimbledon 2025. (Photo credit: Indian Tennis Daily)
The 10th edition of the Dafa News Bengaluru Open is set to get underway on January 5, with a strong Indian presence confirmed following the announcement of the main draw at the S.M. Krishna Tennis Stadium on Friday.
The ATP Challenger 125 tournament will feature players from 19 countries and six Indian singles players in the main draw.
India No. 1 Sumit Nagal will begin his campaign against local favourite S. D. Prajwal Dev, setting up an all-Indian first-round clash.
Top seed Pedro Martinez has been drawn against a qualifier, while second seed Harold Mayot, third seed Jay Clarke and fourth seed Lloyd Harris are all placed in competitive sections of the draw.
Alongside Nagal and Prajwal Dev, the Indian contingent includes Aryan Shah, Karan Singh, and wildcard entrants Dhakshineswar Suresh and Manas Damne. Suresh will face Croatia’s Duje Ajduković in the opening round, while Damne has been drawn against fifth seed Matej Dodig. Aryan Shah will take on Beibit Zhukayev, and Karan Singh is set to meet Borna Gojo.
The qualifying rounds begin on January 4, with Ramkumar Ramanathan, Manish Suresh Kumar, Aditya Balsekar and Adil Kalyanpur receiving wildcard entries.
Speaking on the occasion, Maheswar Rao, IAS, Honorary Secretary, Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA) said, “We are pleased to welcome players, officials and fans to the landmark 10th edition of the Dafa News Bengaluru Open. With continued support from the state government and senior officials, we have focused this year on enhancing player experience, ensuring smooth movement and comfort. Over the years, the tournament has built a strong reputation as a well organised, player-friendly ATP Challenger event.
Alongside delivering high-quality competition, our aim is to attract larger spectator participation, particularly for the evening matches under lights. As one of the first ATP tournaments of the season and a total purse of $225,000, it is a privilege for Bengaluru to host the event and showcase its world class tennis infrastructure.”
