Wild Card Entries Granted to Dhamne, Ramkumar, and Prajwal for Bengaluru Open

Bengaluru, Feb 20 (NationPress) India’s 17-year-old sensation Manas Dhamne along with seasoned players Ramkumar Ramanathan and SD Prajwal Dev have received wild card entries into the singles main draw of the 2025 Bengaluru Open. This ATP Challenger 125 event marks its ninth edition at the KSLTA Courts in Cubbon Park from February 24 to March 2.

Additionally, Kriish Tyagi and Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha will participate in the qualifying rounds as wild cards, aiming for a place in the main draw.

Dhamne, recognized as one of India’s brightest young talents, has been competing on the circuit for two years and recently secured his first notable title at the M15 Monastir in Tunisia. The teenager has made history by becoming the youngest player to win a first-round match at the junior Australian Open and the youngest to participate in a main draw ATP Tour match in 2023.

Prajwal Dev and Ramanathan bring a wealth of experience to the tournament. Ramanathan, a key player in India’s Davis Cup team, has been on the circuit since 2009 and is a beloved participant of the Bengaluru Open, having amassed three doubles titles to his impressive collection.

Prajwal Dev, who achieved his ATP ranking in 2015, has played in both singles and doubles throughout his career, clinching one ATP Challenger doubles title and multiple ITF doubles titles, including four in 2024.

“The Bengaluru Open has consistently played a crucial role in providing Indian players a platform to compete at a high caliber, and this year is no exception. Manas Dhamne’s swift rise is thrilling for Indian tennis, while Ramkumar and Prajwal Dev contribute invaluable experience to the tournament. We eagerly anticipate how our wild card entrants will perform in the competition,” stated tournament director Sunil Yajman.

The doubles event at the Bengaluru Open will showcase 16 teams, including 10 direct entries, four on-site acceptances, and two wild cards. India’s Anirudh Chandrasekar and Ray Ho from Chinese Taipei enter as the top-ranked duo in the main draw, while Blake Bayldon and Matthew Christopher Romios form the second-highest-ranked team. Recently finishing as finalists in the Delhi Open, Niki Poonacha and Courtney John Lock are also expected to perform strongly.

Maheshwar Rao IAS, secretary of KSLTA and organizing secretary of the Bengaluru Open, remarked, “Doubles has always been a strength of Indian tennis, and this event continues to highlight that legacy. The competition is tough, featuring top-ranked pairs and accomplished champions, and we are looking forward to another exciting week of doubles action at the Bengaluru Open.”

Notable doubles entries include top singles seed Vit Kopriva pairing with Marek Gengel, while former World No. 17 Bernard Tomic teams up with Colombia’s Nicolás Mejía. Indian players Siddhant Banthia and Parikshit Somani also strengthen the home representation as direct entrants.

Since its first edition in 2015, the Bengaluru Open has seen four all-Indian winning pairs, with at least one Indian player winning the title in six out of the last eight editions.

India’s Saketh Myneni and Ramkumar Ramanathan hold the title of reigning champions in doubles at the Bengaluru Open. They are also the joint-most successful players in the tournament’s history, each having won three titles, two of which were as a pair (2022 and 2024).