Manas Dhamne, Ramkumar Ramanathan, and SD Prajwal Dev Awarded Wild Card Slots for Bengaluru Open

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

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

Dhamne, one of India's brightest young stars, has been competing on the circuit for two years and recently secured his first major title at the M15 Monastir in Tunisia. The teenager has already 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 competition. Ramanathan, a consistent player in India's Davis Cup team, has been active in the sport since 2009 and is a fan favorite at the Bengaluru Open, having claimed three doubles titles over the years.

Prajwal Dev, on the other hand, achieved his ATP ranking in 2015 and has participated in both singles and doubles throughout his career, winning one ATP Challenger doubles title and several ITF doubles titles, including four in 2024.

"The Bengaluru Open has always been pivotal in providing Indian players with a platform to compete at a high level, and this year is no exception. Manas Dhamne's swift ascent is thrilling for Indian tennis, while Ramkumar and Prajwal Dev contribute invaluable experience to the competition. We eagerly await the performances of all our wild card entrants," said tournament director Sunil Yajman.

The doubles event at the Bengaluru Open will feature 16 teams, comprising 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. Recent finalists from the Delhi Open, Niki Poonacha and Courtney John Lock, are also anticipated to perform strongly.

Maheshwar Rao IAS, secretary of KSLTA and the organizing secretary of the Bengaluru Open, remarked, "Doubles has been a strong suit for Indian tennis, and this event continues to uphold that tradition. The competition is robust, featuring top-ranked pairs and accomplished champions, and we look forward to an exhilarating week of doubles action at the Bengaluru Open."

Among other notable doubles participants, top singles seed Vit Kopriva will partner with Marek Gengel in doubles, while former World No. 17 Bernard Tomic joins forces with Nicolás Mejía from Colombia. India's Siddhant Banthia and Parikshit Somani are also direct entrants, bolstering local representation.

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

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