Bengaluru Open: SD Prajwal Dev awarded wild card entry into men's singles

Indian tennis player SD Prajwal Dev has been announced as the wild card for the men's singles draw, confirmed Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA) on Thursday.

The 27-year-old Dev was also named a reserve in the Indian Davis Cup team for a tie against Pakistan.

Dev had a decent 2023 season in which he ended a runner-up at the ITF15k event in Thailand and also reached the semi-finals in three other tournaments, including Mysuru.

"I would like to thank KSLTA for the wonderful opportunity to play in the main draw. I am privileged to receive the wild card and I am looking forward to the tournament. Hopefully, I can do well. I am coming off a good week in Chennai and hopefully, I continue with that," said Prajwal Dev, currently ranked 611.

"Expectation is there and I am hopeful I will live up to that," he said.

Having the Davis Cuppers in action, the KSLTA will soon announce more main draw wild cards for the tournament which will conclude on February 18.

"Prajwal has the potential to break into top-500 soon and we want to allow him to achieve the feat at the earliest. He is a very talented player, and support at the right time is what a player needs. Our endeavor is to support local talent," said Sunil Yajaman, the Tournament Director.

"We are delighted to give this opportunity to Prajwal. Hopefully, he will make full use of it," Yajaman further added.