India’s top-ranked men’s singles player Sumit Nagal bowed out of the ATP Delhi Open 2026 in the second round on Thursday, suffering a straight-sets defeat to sixth seed Federico Cina of Italy at the DLTA Complex in New Delhi.
Meanwhile, there was success for the Indian contingent in the doubles draw as top seeds Siddhant Banthia and Alexander Donski advanced to the quarterfinals with a commanding opening-round victory.
The ATP Challenger 75 event, now in its sixth edition, continues to showcase a competitive field featuring 32 singles players and 16 doubles teams battling for crucial ranking points and prize money from February 16 to 22.
Nagal, ranked World No. 297, faced a stern challenge from the 18-year-old Italian, who is currently ranked No. 225. Cina made a confident start, breaking the Indian in the opening game of the match and maintaining his advantage to take the first set 6-4. The Italian carried his momentum into the second set, racing to a 5-1 lead and appearing on course for a comfortable victory.
However, Nagal showed resilience in front of the home crowd, saving three match points in the seventh game to claw his way back into contention. He reduced the deficit to 5-4, briefly reigniting hopes of a comeback. Cina, though, held his nerve under pressure and served out the match in the 10th game to complete a 6-4, 6-4 win in one hour and 40 minutes, sealing his place in the quarterfinals.
Speaking after the match, Cina acknowledged the challenge of playing against an experienced opponent on home soil.
“Nagal is someone who has played in Grand Slam main draws, so I’m very happy about this win. He’s a tough player and playing at home made it even more difficult. The crowd was getting excited when it was 5-4, but I served well in the last game to finish the match,” he said.
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Elsewhere in the singles draw, second seed Rei Sakamoto of Japan produced an impressive comeback from 3-0 down in the deciding set to defeat Great Britain’s Alastair Gray 1-6, 6-1, 6-4 and book his place in the last eight. Third seed Jay Clarke and fifth seed Oliver Crawford, both from Great Britain, also progressed with straight-set victories to keep their title hopes alive.
In another notable result, seventh seed Daniel Michalski of Poland was knocked out by Belgium’s Michael Geerts, who secured a 7-6(8), 6-4 win to advance to the quarterfinal stage. Japan’s eighth seed Rio Noguchi also moved into the final eight with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Bulgaria’s Dimitar Kuzmanov.
While India’s singles campaign came to an end with Nagal’s exit, the doubles draw offered encouraging signs. Top-seeded pair Siddhant Banthia and Alexander Donski made a strong start to their partnership, defeating the Philippines’ Francis Casey Alcantara and Zimbabwe’s Courtney John Lock 6-2, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals.
Banthia expressed satisfaction with the performance, highlighting the chemistry the duo has developed over time.
“It was good to be back on court with Alex this year. We’ve played a lot together last season and the chemistry has always been there. We both understand each other’s game well, and having such a dominant performance in the first round gives us confidence going forward,” he said.
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Joining them in the quarterfinals was the Indian wildcard pairing of Divij Sharan and Karan Singh, who registered a solid 7-6(5), 6-4 victory over Bulgaria’s Dimitar Kuzmanov and Kazakhstan’s Denis Yevseyev to keep local hopes alive in the doubles competition.
Historically, Somdev Devvarman remains the only Indian to have won the singles title at the Delhi Open, achieving back-to-back triumphs in 2014 and 2015. India has also enjoyed success in doubles at the tournament, with Saketh Myneni and Sanam Singh, as well as Yuki Bhambri and Mahesh Bhupathi, lifting the trophy in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
As part of the ATP Challenger 75 circuit, the tournament offers 75 ranking points to the singles and doubles champions, 44 points to the singles runner-up, and 50 points to the doubles runners-up. The singles champion will receive USD 17,000 in prize money, while the runner-up will earn USD 9,600. The doubles champions will split USD 4,980, with the runners-up sharing USD 2,880.
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With the singles field narrowing and Indian interest now focused on the doubles draw, the ATP Delhi Open 2026 continues to build momentum heading into the business end of the competition.
