Top seeds Manish Sureshkumar and Vaidehee Chaudhari launched their respective campaigns with commanding straight-sets victories on the opening day of the 31st Fenesta Open National Tennis Championship at the DLTA Complex in New Delhi on Monday, 5 October 2026. The duo wasted little time in asserting their authority, setting up an early marker in one of India's most prestigious national tennis events.

Sureshkumar Eyes Third Title

Defending champion Manish Sureshkumar needed just 61 minutes to dispatch Prasad Ingale 6-1, 6-2 in the men's singles first round. The 27-year-old from Tamil Nadu, gunning for his third Fenesta Open crown, kept errors to a minimum and leaned on a sharp serve to control proceedings throughout.

'It was a good start. I just tried to be solid because it was the first match,' Sureshkumar said after his win. 'I tried to put as many balls on the court and get the rhythm. Today's match was more about being solid and trying to force the opponent to make an error. I think I was serving really well today. Hopefully, I can continue the momentum to the upcoming rounds.'

Sureshkumar also highlighted his affinity for the DLTA courts. 'I have won this tournament twice already. Last year was pretty good. I didn't start pretty well last year, but I was able to end it well. I have always liked playing on these courts in Delhi. This is one of my favourite venues. I feel confident playing here, and that's what I will be looking forward to,' he added.

Chaudhari Storms Through Women's Draw

Women's top seed Vaidehee Chaudhari — a two-time former champion who missed last year's edition due to injury — was equally dominant, defeating Riya Sachdeva 6-0, 6-1 in just 56 minutes. Chaudhari won the first 11 consecutive games before her opponent got on the scoreboard.

'I played really well; I was 6-0, 5-0 up. I wanted to finish in love and love,' she told the media. 'But Riya played a good game, and it was 6-0, 6-1. Now I'm looking forward to my second-round match tomorrow.'

Chaudhari, who claimed titles here in 2022 and 2024, was candid about the tournament's place in her career. 'This place is very special for me. And whenever I come here, I always go back with the trophy. I feel really good, and hopefully I create some more good memories here this year,' she said.

Soha Sadiq Causes First Major Upset

Soha Sadiq delivered the tournament's first significant shock on opening day, beating No. 6 seed Jennifer Luikham 6-4, 6-1 in 86 minutes. The 28-year-old had tuned her preparations specifically for the Fenesta Open. 'I was training just for this tournament, and I just did everything (in the match) I practised for. This is one of the biggest tournaments in India, and this win is a good start for me,' Sadiq said.

Elsewhere in the women's draw, second seed Shruti Ahlawat advanced with a 6-4, 6-0 win over Chevika Sama, while third seed Akanksha Nitture edged past Lakshmi Gowda 7-6, 7-6.

Men's Seeds Mixed Day; Kamath Exits

In the men's singles, third seed Nitin Sinha, sixth seed Maan Kesharwani, and eighth seed Rohan Mehra all progressed to the second round. However, No. 7 seed Madhwin Kamath suffered an early exit, falling to unseeded Parth Aggarwal 7-5, 1-6, 6-2 — the first seeded casualty of the men's draw.

Junior Draws Kick Off; Qualifying Concluded

In the Boys Under-18 singles, top seed Praneel Sharma was ruthless, dismissing Ritvik Dutt 6-0, 6-0 in under an hour. Seeds Om Ramesh Patel (4th), Parjanya Adury (7th), and Kushagra Arora (8th) also progressed without dropping a set. In the Girls Under-18 draw, the top 16 seeds received a bye into the second round and were joined by first-round winners including Riddhi Shinde, Paavani Bisht, Pooja Nagaraj, and Sanidya Karantoth.

Top seed Suraj Prabodh led eight players through qualifying to secure main draw berths, alongside veteran Lakshit Sood (35) and rising juniors Aditya Mor and Prakaash Sarran. With the draw deepening from Tuesday, all eyes will be on whether Sureshkumar and Chaudhari can convert their early dominance into back-to-back titles.