For a country that has passionately followed tennis since the days of Vijay Amritraj and Ramesh Krishnan, India’s longing for a men’s singles Grand Slam champion has grown deeper with time. Can Manas Dhamne and Aryan Shah Provide that Hope.
The doubles triumphs of Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, and Rohan Bopanna have kept Indian tennis relevant on the global map, but the singles circuit continues to elude an Indian breakthrough. Sporadic surges like Yuki Bhambri’s brief stay in the ATP Top 100 and Somdev Devvarman’s gritty Davis Cup performances offered fleeting hope. Yet, no one has managed to sustain that upward momentum.
Now, a new wave of belief is building, powered by two teenagers: 19-year-old Aryan Shah from Gujarat and 17-year-old Manas Dhamne from Pune. Their emergence comes not only at the right time but also with a mix of pedigree, international exposure, and resilience that could finally bridge the chasm between Indian potential and global achievement in men’s singles.
Manas Dhamne: A Prodigy with Proven Pedigree
Born in December 2007, Manas Dhamne’s name first echoed on the international junior scene when he became the first Indian to win the Eddie Herr U12 title, a prestigious benchmark for future stars. In 2023, at just 15, he etched his name in history again becoming the first player born in 2007 to feature in an ATP main draw, doing so at the Tata Open Maharashtra.
What sets Dhamne apart is not just his early success, but the ecosystem surrounding his growth. Training under Riccardo Piatti in Italy renowned for coaching legends like Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, and Maria Sharapova Dhamne has access to elite-level mentorship rarely available to Indian juniors.
That backing has already started to show results. In February 2025, he won his first professional singles title at the ITF M15 event in Monastir, Tunisia, rallying from a set down to beat top junior Lorenzo Carboni.
By May 2025, Dhamne reached a career-high ATP ranking of 716, a commendable milestone for someone still in their teens. Gaurav Natekar, a former Davis Cup player and now coach, has hailed Dhamne as “the torchbearer of Indian tennis.” The praise isn’t hyperbolic—Dhamne’s combination of court awareness, early discipline, and technical finesse make him a legitimate long-term contender.
Aryan Shah: The Silent Riser with Grit and Game
Aryan Shah’s trajectory has been more measured but no less impressive. Born in November 2005, Shah turned professional in 2023 and quickly began racking up consistent results in ITF events. In early 2025, he won his first M25 title in Ahmedabad, a significant feat that announced his arrival on the Challenger fringe.
As of mid-2025, Shah is ranked around ATP No. 460, with a career high of No. 445, placing him as India’s fourth-highest ranked singles player. While he hasn’t always received the same spotlight as Dhamne, Shah’s performances in international ITF and Challenger events especially in Abidjan and Santo Domingo have caught the eye of seasoned observers. His victory over former British No. 4 Jay Clarke was a testament to his mental toughness and ability to match higher-ranked players shot-for-shot.
His inclusion in the ATP Next Gen Accelerator program, which grants Challenger-level wildcards to emerging talents, is an acknowledgment of his potential. With an aggressive baseline game, smart shot selection, and a rapidly improving all-round game, Shah has the tools to climb further in the next few years.
Contextualising Their Rise in Indian Tennis History
Historically, Indian men’s singles players have taken the professional plunge relatively early Leander Paes turned pro at 18, Yuki Bhambri at 16, and Ramkumar Ramanathan around the same age. In that lineage, Dhamne’s ATP main draw debut at 15 and Shah’s professional start at 17 place them firmly within the timeline of early bloomers.
But this generation is different. They are growing up in a more supportive environment—with greater access to global coaching, physical conditioning, sports science, and competitive exposure. Their progress is being tracked more carefully, with federations, private sponsors, and academies showing a higher degree of involvement than ever before.
The Road Ahead: Cautious Optimism and Systemic Hope
Transitioning from the junior or ITF level to the ATP Tour is a steep climb. The physical intensity, relentless travel, and mental endurance required to survive at the highest level make it one of the toughest journeys in professional sport. Indian players in the past have struggled with consistency, injuries, and a lack of systemic backing once they graduate from junior success.
For Dhamne and Shah to truly break through, continuous investment in their development coaching, travel, nutrition, physiotherapy, and mental conditioning will be crucial. The financial demands of pursuing a global tennis career are enormous, and both players will need steady support to bridge the gap from Challenger events to ATP 250s and Slams.
That said, if both players stay healthy and maintain their current trajectory, Grand Slam qualification by 2027–28 and entry into the Top 200 by the end of the decade seems like a tangible goal. More importantly, their success could become a catalyst for broader reforms from hosting more ITF/Challenger events in India to improving grassroots coaching and drawing corporate investment into tennis infrastructure.
In Aryan Shah and Manas Dhamne, Indian tennis has found two compelling protagonists for its next chapter. While their stories are still being written, their early strides offer more than just optimism they present a rare opportunity to reset Indian men’s tennis on the global stage. The next decade will be telling, but for now, the promise is real and it’s the brightest we’ve seen in years.
