A breakthrough day for Indian tennis unfolded at the SDAT Tennis Stadium in Nungambakkam as three Indians Aryan Lakshmanan, Aditya Vishal Balsekar and Ishaque Eqbal secured their maiden ATP Challenger main draw berths at the Coromandel Chennai Open ATP Challenger 2026 after successfully navigating the final round of qualifying.
The Challenger 50 event, one of the key stops on India’s ATP calendar, witnessed five Indians advancing from qualifying, underlining the depth emerging in domestic men’s tennis.
Lakshmanan’s Grit Steals the Show
The most dramatic contest of the day came courtesy of 20-year-old left-hander Aryan Lakshmanan. Facing compatriot Sai Karteek Reddy Ganta, Lakshmanan found himself trailing 7-6, 5-4 and staring at two match points against him. What followed was a display of composure and serving precision rarely seen at this level from a young qualifier. Lakshmanan struck 13 aces over the course of the three-hour battle, clawing back the second set in a tie-break before dominating the decider 6-2 to seal a 6-7, 7-6, 6-2 win. It marked not only a personal milestone but also a significant step forward in his transition from ITF-level competition to the Challenger circuit.
Balsekar Upsets Third Seed
Twenty-three-year-old Aditya Vishal Balsekar delivered one of the biggest upsets of the qualifying draw. Ranked World No. 1401, Balsekar ousted third seed Timofei Derepasko (World No. 675) in a topsy-turvy encounter that featured 14 breaks of serve.
Balsekar edged a tight opening set 7-5, dropped the second 4-6, and then produced a composed final-set performance to close out the match 6-1. The win not only secured his maiden Challenger main draw appearance but also showcased his ability to withstand extended baseline exchanges and momentum swings against higher-ranked opposition.
Eqbal Advances, Dev and Sinha Dominate
Ishaque Eqbal became the third Indian debutant after progressing when Siddhant Banthia retired while trailing 7-5, 1-0. At 28, Eqbal’s qualification reflects persistence and steady progression through India’s domestic circuit.
S.D. Prajwal Dev and Nitin Kumar Sinha ensured a strong Indian presence by advancing in straight sets against compatriots. Dev, the top seed in qualifying, defeated Abhinav Sanjeev Shanmugam 6-1, 6-4, while Sinha overcame Adil Kalyanpur 6-4, 6-2. The duo completed a remarkable five-out-of-six Indian qualification success rate.
Malaysia’s Mitsuki Wei Kang Leong was the lone foreigner to progress through qualifying, overcoming Raghav Jaisinghani 4-6, 6-3, 6-1.
Main Draw Action Begins
In the only singles main draw match of the day, Australia’s Philip Sekulic recorded his first win of the 2026 season, defeating Great Britain’s Alastair Gray 6-3, 7-6 to reach the Round of 16. The 22-year-old had endured first-round exits in his previous three events of the year, making this a timely turnaround.
The singles main draw features strong international representation. Great Britain’s Jay Clarke leads the seedings, followed by Argentina’s Federico Agustin Gomez, Britain’s Oliver Crawford and Ilia Simakin.
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India’s presence in the main draw is significant. Top-ranked Sumit Nagal arrives in Chennai fresh from India’s thrilling Davis Cup victory over the Netherlands in Bengaluru. Youngster Manas Dhamne also enters with momentum after capturing an ITF title in Kuwait over the weekend. Karan Singh joins them to round off a healthy domestic contingent.
Doubles Momentum for Dev and Sinha
The doubles draw also opened with Indian interest.
Third seeds Prajwal Dev and Nitin Kumar Sinha advanced to the quarter-finals after a clinical 7-6, 6-1 victory over Petr Bar Biryukov and Ilia Simakin. The pairing, already in the singles main draw via qualifying, continues to underline their versatility.
Meanwhile, top singles seed Jay Clarke partnered India’s Mukund Sasikumar to defeat wildcard pair Lakshmanan and Balsekar 6-3, 6-4 to reach the last eight.
A Promising Indicator for Indian Tennis
The day’s results reinforce a broader narrative India’s depth at the Challenger level is strengthening. While established names like Nagal continue to anchor the top tier, emerging players such as Lakshmanan and Balsekar are beginning to break through. For many of these athletes, the transition from ITF events to ATP Challenger tournaments is the most critical step in professional development. Securing main draw entries on home soil provides ranking opportunities, exposure to higher-level competition, and valuable experience in managing pressure.
With packed local interest and international quality across the draw, the Coromandel Chennai Open promises a week of high-intensity tennis.
For Lakshmanan, Balsekar and Eqbal, however, Monday will remain special the day their Challenger journey truly began.
