The All India Tennis Association (AITA) has launched a new digital platform in partnership with World Tennis Number, creating a unified ecosystem for Indian tennis. This platform will streamline registrations, tournament entries, and provide access to rankings, aiming to modernise the sport's administration and player experience.
Soft tennis player Jay Meena, marathon runner Sawan Barwal, and air pistol shooter Kamaljeet share their personal journeys and challenges leading up to their medal wins at the Asian Games. Meena recounts how school rustication led him to soft tennis and his struggle with quarterfinal defeats. Barwal discusses the mental pressure of switching to marathon running, while Kamaljeet reflects on injury setbacks and the pressure of securing India's first shooting gold at the Games.
The UN Human Rights office has condemned the online racist abuse directed at American tennis player Coco Gauff following a replayed point at the China Open. Gauff revealed she received significant racist messages, prompting the WTA to offer support and monitor the abuse. The UN called for unity against racial and sexist abuse in sports.
Rohan Bopanna, India's former world number one doubles player, has been excluded from the AITA's Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOM) roster. This exclusion is due to his failure to meet the mandatory one-year retirement criterion, as he announced his professional retirement on November 1, 2025, just shy of the October 16, 2026, deadline for the roster. Despite inquiring about his eligibility and receiving initial assurance, his continued participation on the Pro ATP tour until October 2025 meant he was still considered active.
Gujarat's Vivaan Dave and Maharashtra's Divyanshi Bhowmick have secured the Youth Boys' and Youth Girls' U-17 titles, respectively, at the UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships. Dave won a five-game thriller against Atharva Nawarange, while Bhowmick defeated Ananya Muralidharan 3-1.
Ritvik Gupta of Delhi and Ananya Muralidharan of Tamil Nadu have won the U-17 boys' and girls' titles, respectively, at the National Ranking Table Tennis Championships held in Panchkula on Sunday. Gupta secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory, while Muralidharan claimed her title with a 3-1 win.
Former Indian tennis greats Mahesh Bhupathi, Sania Mirza, and Rohan Bopanna, along with other prominent sportspersons, have applied for Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOM) positions within the All India Tennis Association (AITA). This move aligns with new national sports governance rules aimed at increasing sportsperson representation in federations. The AITA received 26 applications, and the selection process for SOM representatives is expected to conclude on November 5, with AITA elections scheduled for November 27.
Prince William joined cricket legends Sourav Ganguly, Ajinkya Rahane, Brian Lara, Joe Root, and Harry Brook for a friendly tennis-ball match in London. This event served as a prelude to the Earthshot Prize awards ceremony, an environmental initiative launched by Prince William, which is set to debut in India next month in Mumbai. The cricketers highlighted the unifying spirit of the sport and its connection to environmental responsibility.
India's Asian Para Games campaign saw a remarkable performance, particularly in athletics, securing five gold medals on Tuesday. Nishad Kumar and Deepthi Jeevanji were standout performers, both setting new Games records and clinching multiple golds. The nation's overall medal tally reached 35 by the end of day two, with significant contributions from shooting, powerlifting, swimming, table tennis, archery, and badminton, promising further success.
The UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships in Kanpur witnessed top seed Manush Shah narrowly escape an upset in the men's singles, while the women's singles draw experienced significant upheavals with several seeded players, including eighth-seeded Sayali Wani, making early exits after intense five-game battles.
Spanish tennis player Paula Badosa has been announced as a Laureus Ambassador, reinforcing her long-standing connection with the movement. Badosa expressed her honour and shared a message of perseverance for young participants in Laureus programmes worldwide, while tennis legend Martina Navratilova welcomed her to the Laureus family.
India faces a challenging Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya with a significantly smaller contingent of 168 athletes, down from 303. While aiming to build on its record 111-medal haul from the last Games, selection disputes in para-shooting and para-cycling, coupled with reduced athlete numbers in key disciplines like para-athletics, pose hurdles. Despite these challenges, star athletes across para-athletics, archery, para-badminton, shooting, and table tennis are expected to lead India's medal charge.
Indian table tennis players, including top seed Manush Shah and Harmeet Desai, showcased strong performances at the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships, with a majority of home players advancing to the pre-quarterfinals in both men's and women's singles, despite a few setbacks.
Indonesian tennis star Janice Tjen will return as the top seed to defend her title at the Chennai Open International Women's Tennis Championships 2026, a WTA 250 event. The tournament, India's highest international women's ranking event, will feature players from 22 countries, with Tjen being the first Asian top seed.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta inaugurated the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championship at the Thyagaraj Sports Complex, highlighting the Delhi government's commitment to promoting sports. The event features top players from 25 Commonwealth nations and will conclude on August 2.
India's teenage tennis sensation Maaya Rajeshwaran has made a significant mark on the professional circuit by winning the W35 Lagos tournament in Portugal, becoming the youngest Indian to achieve a pro singles title since Sania Mirza. The 17-year-old, who also secured the doubles crown, views this as just the beginning of her professional journey, aiming to compete in more senior events and improve her world ranking. She recently moved her training base to France and plans to focus on physical and technical improvements in the coming months.
Carlos Alcaraz is set to return to the US Open after a nearly five-month absence due to a wrist injury, with fellow professionals expressing confidence in his ability to quickly regain form despite the layoff.
Indian mixed doubles pair Manush Shah and Diya Chitale suffered a 1-3 loss to Chinese Taipei's Lin Yun-Ju and Cheng I-Ching in the semifinals of the World Table Tennis (WTT) China Smash on Thursday. Their historic run as the first Indian mixed doubles pair to reach a WTT Grand Smash semifinal concluded, with other Indian players also exiting the tournament.
India's men's and women's table tennis teams both secured gold medals at the 22nd Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships. The men's team, led by Manush Shah's heroic performance, overcame Malaysia 3-2 in a thrilling final, while the women's team comfortably defeated Malaysia 3-0.
Top Indian athletes like PV Sindhu, Mirabai Chanu, Neeru Dhanda, and Harmanpreet Singh have been nominated by their respective National Sports Federations to the electoral college for the Indian Olympic Association's Athletes Commission polls on November 3. The article details the nomination process, eligibility criteria, and the composition of the new Athletes Commission, noting the absence of some federations and the exclusion of outgoing members like Mary Kom.
Indian table tennis player Diya Chitale, fresh off winning an Asian Games mixed doubles bronze with Manush Shah, views the medal as a crucial step towards Olympic qualification. She highlighted the importance of mental preparation and an aggressive strategy, which helped them defeat a higher-ranked Hong Kong pair. Chitale aims to improve world rankings through upcoming WTT tournaments and the World Championships.
Indian tennis players, including top seed Dhakshineswar Suresh, Arnav Paparkar, and Sidharth Rawat, have successfully advanced to the second round of the men's singles at the Mumbai Open ITF M25 event. Several other Indian and international players also secured wins in both singles and doubles matches on Wednesday.
India commenced its Asian Para Games campaign with a spectacular performance, securing 11 medals, including four gold, across various sports on Monday. Notable victories came from shooter Mona Agarwal, long jumper Nishad Kumar, middle-distance runner Soumya, and javelin thrower Rinku, with archer Sheetal Devi also setting world records. The medal haul places India fourth in the overall standings.
The popular Australian Open 1 Point Slam event will feature top tennis stars like Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Coco Gauff, and Naomi Osaka competing against amateur players for a million-dollar prize ahead of the Grand Slam. The unique knockout contest, where a single point decides progression, has gained significant fan interest since its introduction.
Six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek has withdrawn from the Ningbo Open in China due to a thigh injury, effectively ending her chances of qualifying for the season-ending WTA Finals.
India, top-seeded in the men's section, is a strong favourite to win the 22nd Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships. The tournament, featuring 23 men's and 18 women's teams, will see India's men's team led by G. Sathiyan and the women's team by Sreeja Akula, facing tough competition from Australia, England, and Singapore.
Indian table tennis players Manush Shah and Yashaswini Ghorpade were defeated in their singles pre-quarterfinals at the Asian Games, concluding India's table tennis campaign.
India's medal tally at the Asian Para Games reached 88, with armless archer Sheetal Devi securing two gold medals. The para-athletics contingent was the largest contributor, while medals also came from swimming, badminton, and table tennis, showcasing a strong performance across multiple disciplines.
India's top-seeded men's and women's table tennis teams secured identical 3-0 victories over Zimbabwe and Maldives, respectively, marking a commanding start to their campaign at the 22nd Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships in New Delhi.
Suraj Prabodh, an unseeded player, caused a major upset at the 31st Fenesta Open National Tennis Championship by defeating second seed Aditya Balsekar in a thrilling three-set match. The tournament also saw other upsets in men's singles and doubles, while top seeds advanced in women's and junior categories.
Two-time former champion Vaidehee Chaudhari is making a comeback at the Fenesta Open National Tennis Championship after missing last year due to injury. She is determined to reclaim the trophy, with main draw action set to begin at DLTA.
Top-seeded India enters the 22nd Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships as strong favourites for the men's team title, featuring seasoned players like G. Sathiyan. While facing tough competition from Australia and England in the men's event, and Singapore in the women's, India's women's team will compete without star player Manika Batra. The tournament, hosted in New Delhi, includes 23 men's and 18 women's teams, offering a record prize money of USD 110,000.
Top seed Deepthi Venkatesan was defeated in the Girls' U-16 singles event at the 31st Fenesta Open National Tennis Championship by Unnathi Muralidhar on Tuesday. Other seeded players experienced mixed results, with some advancing and others facing early exits across various age categories.
Indian table tennis star Sathiyan Gnanasekaran believes the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) league is serving as ideal preparation for the national side ahead of the upcoming Asian Games, highlighting its role in team bonding and match practice.
Jay Meena dreamed of becoming a cricketer, but fate had other plans.
An ad-hoc committee overseeing Indian table tennis has removed official ranking points from national tournaments, including the upcoming Panchkula edition, causing significant anxiety among players like Ankur Bhattacharya. The committee, formed after the Table Tennis Federation of India's suspension, states its mandate is to protect athletes but will only award points once an official calendar is finalised, impacting team selections.
Carlos Alcaraz has firmly stated that Grand Slam tournaments should maintain their best-of-five sets format, arguing that shortening men's matches would 'kill the legacy' of tennis's four majors. Instead, the world number three advocates for changes to the sport's demanding tour calendar to address player workload.
India's men's and women's table tennis teams have both advanced to the finals of the 22nd Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships after defeating England in their respective semifinals. The men's team secured a dominant 3-0 victory, while the women's team overcame a tougher challenge with a 3-1 win. Both teams are set to face Malaysia in the championship matches.
Third seed Nitin Kumar Sinha caused a major upset by defeating defending champion and top seed Manish Sureshkumar in a three-set thriller to reach the men's singles final of the 31st Fenesta Open National Tennis Championship. Sinha will face Maan Kesharwani in the final. In women's singles, top seed Vaidehee Chaudhari and second seed Shruti Ahlawat will contest the final.
India's Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah suffered a straight-game defeat against South Korea's Lim Jonghoon and Oh Junsung in the men's doubles semifinals at the WTT China Smash.
