Bengaluru, Nov 29 (LatestNewsX) – Karnataka’s Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha has earned a spot in the men’s doubles main draw of the 2026 Australian Open after winning the Asia‑Pacific Wildcard Playoff in Chengdu, China.
Seeding second, Niki, who represents India, partnered with Thailand’s Pruchya Isaro. The duo knocked out Tianzhi Qian and Bowen Wu in their opening match, then upset Pak Long Yeung and Chih Chi Huang in the semi‑finals. In the final they won 6‑4, 6‑3 against Japan’s Seita Kusuhara and Katsuki Nakagawa, securing the Australian Open wildcard and giving Niki his inaugural Grand Slam main‑draw appearance. In recognition of the accomplishment, the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA) will award him ₹1,00,000.
Maheshwar Rao, Chief Commissioner of the Greater Bengaluru Authority and secretary‑in‑charge of KSLTA, commented: “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 dedicated to backing athletes from Karnataka on both national and international stages and celebrates milestones that help advance tennis throughout the state.
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
