Chennai is set to once again take centre stage on the international tennis calendar as the Coromandel Chennai Open ATP Challenger 50 Men’s International Tennis Championship 2026 gets underway from February 9 to 15 at the SDAT Tennis Stadium, Nungambakkam.
Organised by the Tamil Nadu Tennis Association, the tournament continues the city’s long-standing tradition of hosting elite-level professional tennis and providing Indian players a crucial platform to compete against global opposition on home soil.
Classified as an ATP Challenger 50 event, the Chennai Open will feature players from 14 countries, reflecting the depth and diversity of the field. Competitors from Great Britain, South Africa, Croatia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Canada, Uzbekistan, Spain, France, Italy, Hungary, Turkey, Hong Kong and the Czech Republic will line up alongside India’s leading professionals, ensuring a week of high-quality, competitive tennis.
Heading the singles draw is Britain’s Jay Clarke, currently ranked 178 in the world and among the top eight British players. Clarke arrives in Chennai as the top seed and one of the favourites for the title, bringing with him a blend of experience and consistency that makes him a formidable challenger at this level. He is followed by Argentina’s Federico Agustin Gomez, ranked 192, while the rest of the seeded field includes Oliver Crawford (Great Britain), Rio Noguchi (Japan), Federico Ferreira Silva (Portugal) and Ilia Simakin (Russia).
The Indian challenge will be spearheaded by Sumit Nagal, ranked 281, who remains one of the country’s most accomplished singles players on the ATP Tour. For Nagal and his compatriots, the Chennai Open represents a valuable opportunity to earn ranking points without the logistical and financial burden of extended overseas travel. The tournament also offers a crucial chance to gain match practice against seasoned international professionals early in the season.
Adding further domestic interest, Sasikumar Mukund, Manish Suresh Kumar and teenage prospect Manas Dhamne have been awarded wild cards into the main draw. Their inclusion underlines the TNTA’s commitment to nurturing Indian talent and ensuring that promising players receive exposure to high-level competition. In recent years, such opportunities have often proven to be stepping stones for Indian players aiming to climb the ATP rankings.
The Chennai Open has a rich legacy that stretches back nearly three decades. Since 1996, barring the COVID-19 disruption, the SDAT Tennis Stadium has hosted a major international tennis event every year. Many Indian greats have used this very stage to announce themselves on the professional circuit. Leander Paes reached the final of the Challenger event in 1996, before he and Mahesh Bhupathi went on to win their first ATP 250 doubles title in Chennai in 1997.
Rohan Bopanna reached his first ATP 250 doubles final here in 2006 and later lifted the title with Jeevan Nedunchezhian in 2017, while Somdev Devvarman made the singles final in 2009.
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The 2025 edition of the Chennai Challenger was won by Kyrian Jacquet of France, with Sweden’s Elias Ymer finishing as runner-up, once again highlighting the tournament’s reputation as a breeding ground for future success on the ATP Tour.
Speaking on the occasion, TNTA President Vijay Amritraj emphasised the importance of such tournaments for Indian tennis. He acknowledged the continued support of Coromandel International and other sponsors, noting that hosting international events not only benefits current professionals but has also inspired TNTA to launch an ambitious player development programme, “The Next Level”, aimed at providing financial and technical backing to top juniors from Tamil Nadu.
Coromandel International’s Executive Chairman Arun Alagappan echoed those sentiments, describing sport as a vehicle for excellence, discipline and global competitiveness. He reiterated the company’s pride in being the title sponsor of a tournament that has consistently nurtured future champions while strengthening Chennai’s position on the global tennis map.
From an organisational standpoint, the event will be supervised by ATP official Paulo Cardoso, with Anton D’Souza serving as referee and P Saravanan as Chief of Officials. The total prize money on offer stands at USD 63,000 (approximately Rs 60 lakh), with the singles winner earning USD 9,500 and 50 ATP points, while the runner-up will receive USD 5,500 and 25 points. The doubles champions will collect USD 2,980.
The tournament will feature a 32-player main draw, including direct acceptances, wild cards, special exempts and qualifiers. Entry for spectators is free, with qualifying matches scheduled for February 8 and main draw action beginning on February 9. Doubles finals will be played on February 14, followed by the singles final on February 15.
As the first stop in a series of ATP Challenger events to be held in India this season, followed by tournaments in Delhi and Pune, the Coromandel Chennai Open once again promises to be a vital launchpad for Indian players and a treat for tennis fans in the city.
