New Delhi, Feb 15 (.) India’s Sumit Nagal will spearhead the home campaign at the Delhi Open 2026 when the ATP Challenger 75 tournament gets underway at the DLTA Complex from February 16 to 22.
Nagal, currently India’s top-ranked singles player, is the only Indian to secure direct entry into the 32-player singles main draw of the tournament, as per Olympics.com.
Among other Indians, 18-year-old wildcard entrant Manas Dhamne faces a tough opening-round match against Japan’s eighth seed Rio Noguchi, a two-time ATP Challenger singles champion. Wildcards have also been awarded to Karan Singh and Digvijay Pratap Singh, strengthening the local presence in the main draw.
Nine Indians, including Ramkumar Ramanathan, will compete in the 24-player qualifying event starting Sunday. The qualifiers also feature former Australian Open semi-finalist Chung Hyeon of South Korea. Main draw action begins on Monday.
Australia’s Dane Sweeny, ranked world No. 138, enters the tournament as the top seed in singles.
In doubles, India will have a strong representation in the 16-team draw. The top-seeded pair comprises India’s Siddhanth Banthia and Bulgaria’s Alexander Donski, while the Indo-Thai duo of Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha and Pruchya Isaro are seeded second following their recent Chennai Open Challenger triumph.
The fourth-seeded Indian combination of Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and Ramkumar Ramanathan will also be in contention, while wildcard entries have been granted to Indian pairs Divij Sharan/Karan Singh and Saketh Myneni/Digvijay Pratap Singh.
Noguchi, the defending doubles champion, returns to the tournament with a new partner, Switzerland’s Luca Castelnuovo, aiming to retain his title.
Part of the ATP Challenger 75 circuit, the Delhi Open offers 75 ranking points to the singles and doubles champions. The tournament, being held for the sixth time, has seen Somdev Devvarman remain the only Indian to win the singles title, achieving the feat in 2014 and 2015.
. VAN RSA