Asian Games 2026 Tennis: India’s Best Shot Might Be in Doubles, Not Singles

Tennis is back under the Asian Games spotlight, and this year’s draw tells an unusual story — not a single men’s player inside the world’s top 100 is competing. That opens the door wide for underdogs, breakout stars, and, notably, India’s doubles specialists to make real noise in Nagoya.

Where and When It’s Happening?

The tournament runs from September 27 to October 3 at the Nagoya City Higashiyama Park Tennis Center in Japan, a venue also hosting soft tennis and wheelchair tennis. Matches tentatively begin at 9:00 AM JST (5:30 AM IST) each day.

Full Tennis Schedule at Asian Games 2026

Who’s Leading the Field?

On the men’s side, Hong Kong’s Coleman Wong tops the seedings, joined by Kazakhstan’s Alexander Shevchenko and China’s Wu Yibing. South Korea’s Soonwoo Kwon, fresh off a strong Davis Cup showing against India, adds further depth to a wide-open draw.

The women’s draw has a clear headline act: Philippines’ Alexandra Eala, World No. 18, who recently stunned top-10 players including Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina. She even skipped a mandatory WTA Masters event to represent her country here, making her the outright favorite for gold.

India’s Squad and Realistic Medal Chances

India’s singles hopes rest on Sumit Nagal, seeded No. 7, and Dhakshineswar Suresh, who’s competing in both singles and doubles. Nagal’s recent Davis Cup form, however, offers little confidence after back-to-back losses.

The real opportunity lies in doubles. Yuki Bhambri and Dhakshineswar Suresh enter as No. 5 seeds in men’s doubles, while N Sriram Balaji and Anirudh Chandrasekar hold the top overall seeding in the same event — a strong sign of India’s depth in this discipline. Mixed doubles also looks promising, with Bhambri and Rutuja Bhosale seeded No. 2, alongside Ankita Raina and Bhosale featuring across both women’s and mixed events.

India’s Full Tennis Squad

Why This Tournament Is Worth Watching?

With no top-100 men’s player in the field, this edition genuinely feels wide open, giving lower-ranked competitors a rare shot at Asian Games glory. For India, the takeaway is clear: while singles remains a work in progress, the depth and seeding strength in doubles could translate into the country’s best tennis results at this year’s Games.

Where to Watch?

Fans in India can catch all the action live on the Sony Sports Network, with streaming available via the SonyLIV app.

For more background on the sport’s global format and history, check the Tennis page on Wikipedia.

For more Asian Games 2026 schedules and India’s medal tracker, check out ongoing sports coverage at TechnoSports.

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