M Sureshkumar, aged 26, made a remarkable entry at the ATP Delhi Open 2026 by defeating fifth seed Lorenzo Carboni in a thrilling Men’s Singles first qualifying round match at the DLTA Complex. Despite losing the first set, Sureshkumar staged a comeback to win 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 against the 19-year-old Italian player. Indian player Ramkumar Ramanathan, competing as a wild card, also secured a victory by beating Tsung-Hao Huang of Chinese Taipei in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3.
The Delhi Open, part of the ATP Challenger 75 series, will offer 75 ranking points to the singles and doubles champions, with 50 points for the doubles runners-up and 44 points for the singles runner-up. The singles winner will receive $17,000 in prize money, while the runner-up will earn $9,600. In the doubles category, the champions will split $4,980, and the runners-up will share $2,880.
Reflecting on his unexpected entry into the tournament, Sureshkumar expressed his initial doubts about participating in Delhi due to the last-minute entry. He highlighted his focus on playing good tennis without any pressure during the match. Sureshkumar’s strategic gameplay and strong serve helped him dominate the match, leading to a well-deserved victory over Carboni.
Top seed Denis Yevseyev faced a tough challenge but managed to defeat Mitsuki Wei Kang Leong in a thrilling three-set match. Other players like Eric Vanshelboim, Ioannis Xilas, Luca Castelnuovo, and Alexandr Binda also secured wins in their respective matches. Notable results included Hyeon Chung’s impressive victory over Nitin Kumar Sinha and Uisung Park’s surprising win against Mukund Sasikumar, setting the stage for the final qualifying round with six spots available for the main draw.
