Indian tennis enjoyed another encouraging day at the Coromandel Chennai Open ATP Challenger Men’s International Tennis Championship 2026, with eighth seed Sumit Nagal and Mukund Sasikumar advancing to the second round, while wildcard Sidharth Rawat delivered the biggest upset of the tournament so far at the SDAT Tennis Stadium, Nungambakkam.
The loudest cheer of the day belonged to Rawat, who rolled back the years to script a stirring comeback against fifth seed Rio Noguchi of Japan. The 32-year-old Indian, ranked World No. 715, recovered from a one-sided opening set to defeat the World No. 246 Noguchi 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 in a match that showcased his resilience and tactical clarity.
Rawat admitted the contest had its swings. “Today’s match was an absolute rollercoaster with many breaks of serve and a lot of ups and downs,” he said. “I started a little slow in the first set, then took a short break, regrouped and came back strong in the second. I was feeling powerful in my legs and that helped me a lot. I was just going with the flow and following my instincts without overthinking.”
After struggling to find rhythm early on, Rawat tightened his groundstrokes and began dictating play from the baseline. As Noguchi’s first-serve percentage dipped, the Indian stepped inside the court more frequently, capitalising on shorter balls to turn the match around emphatically.
Later in the evening, India’s top-ranked singles player Sumit Nagal produced a composed comeback to defeat Great Britain’s Felix Gill 1-6, 6-1, 6-3. Fresh from India’s Davis Cup triumph over the Netherlands in Bengaluru, Nagal initially appeared flat, dropping the first set in just 29 minutes. However, he quickly recalibrated, improving his depth off the forehand wing and raising his return intensity to seize control of the match.
Once he levelled the contest at one set apiece, Nagal’s experience began to show. He broke early in the decider and maintained scoreboard pressure to close out the match in two hours and five minutes, booking his place in the Round of 16.
Earlier in the day, Mukund Sasikumar negotiated a potentially tricky first-round clash against fellow Indian and close friend Nitin Kumar Sinha. The unseeded Mukund recovered from an early break in the opening set to secure a 7-5, 6-3 victory in a match defined by extended baseline rallies and tactical discipline.
“I’m super happy to be back in Chennai. I had a lot of fun playing against a good friend of mine and I really enjoyed being out on court,” Mukund said. “I’m looking forward to taking the positives and improving as I move ahead.”
While there was joy for some Indians, others fell short against higher-ranked opponents. Wildcard Digvijay Pratap Singh pushed third seed Oliver Crawford to the brink in a gripping three-hour encounter the longest match of the day before eventually losing 7-6(6), 3-6, 7-5. Singh displayed impressive shot tolerance and fighting spirit, saving multiple break points, but Crawford’s consistency in the decisive moments proved decisive.
Fourth seed Ilia Simakin defeated rising Indian Manas Dhamne 6-3, 6-2, while sixth seed Frederico Ferreira Silva overcame Karan Singh 6-4, 6-4. Argentine second seed Federico Agustin Gomez progressed comfortably with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Manish Sureshkumar.
In another notable result, seventh seed Florent Bax was forced to retire in the third set of his clash against Denis Yevseyev. The Kazakh was leading 5-7, 6-4, 3-2 when Bax withdrew due to physical discomfort. The tournament, offering a prize purse of USD 63,000 and 50 ATP ranking points to the singles champion, has drawn a competitive 32-player main draw featuring 21 direct acceptances, two special exempts, three wildcards and six qualifiers. The winner will receive USD 9,500, while the runner-up will earn USD 5,500 and 25 ranking points.
In doubles action, matches continued to add depth to the week’s schedule, with the quarter-final line-up beginning to take shape.
Top seed Jay Clarke is set to begin his singles campaign on Wednesday against Ioannis Xilas, while second-round singles matches and the remaining first-round doubles contests will also be played. The Chennai Open marks the first in a series of ATP Challenger events in India this season, with tournaments in Delhi and Pune to follow. With free entry for spectators and strong Indian representation across the draw, the event continues to build momentum as a key fixture in the domestic tennis calendar.
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As the competition moves deeper into the week, Indian hopes remain firmly alive buoyed by Nagal’s composure, Mukund’s steadiness, and Rawat’s headline-making upset.
