Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha qualifies for Australian Open 2026 main draw
Bengaluru, Nov 29
Karnataka’s Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha has secured a place in the men’s doubles main draw of the 2026 Australian Open after winning the Asia-Pacific Wildcard Playoff held in Chengdu, China.
The second seed, Niki representing India partnered with Thailand’s Pruchya Isaro, the pair won their first match against Tianzhi Qian and Bowen Wu and then went on to defeat Pak Long Yeung and Chih Chi Huang in the semifinals. In the final, they recorded a solid 6–4, 6–3 win over Japan’s Seita Kusuhara and Katsuki Nakagawa to claim the Australian Open wildcard. This gives Niki his first-ever Grand Slam main draw appearance. To recognise this achievement, KSLTA has announced a reward of ₹1,00,000 for Niki Poonacha.
Maheshwar Rao, Chief Commissioner, Greater Bengaluru Authority and secretary -KSLTA said: "We at KSLTA are extremely thrilled at Niki Poonacha’s performance at Chengdu, where he won the Australian Open wild card qualifying event along with his partner, Pruchya Isaro. We are happy and proud that he continues the legacy of Rohan Bopanna, who just retired. We wish Poonacha and Pruchya Isaro all the very best in Australian Open 2026 and we are sure he will make our state and nation proud. The KSLTA is happy to announce a reward of Rs. 1 lakh to Poonacha for this achievement."
KSLTA remains committed to supporting athletes representing Karnataka on national and international platforms and acknowledges milestones that contribute to the growth of tennis in the state.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Great achievement but honestly, ₹1 lakh seems quite small for qualifying for a Grand Slam main draw. Corporate sponsors should step up and support our athletes better. Still, congratulations Niki! 🎾
Karnataka continues to produce tennis champions! First Rohan Bopanna, now Niki Poonacha. The state's tennis infrastructure is really paying off. Well done to KSLTA for their consistent support.
Impressive performance in Chengdu! Winning against Japanese and Chinese pairs shows our players can compete at the highest level. The India-Thailand partnership worked beautifully. All the best for Australian Open 2026!
This is what happens when state associations actually support athletes. KSLTA setting an example for other states. Hope we see more such success stories from different parts of India.
So happy to read this! 🥳 Niki's journey from local tournaments to Grand Slam qualification is truly inspiring. Hope this opens doors for more international partnerships and exposure for our players.
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