Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha: Karnataka’s Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha has secured a place in the men’s doubles main draw of the 2026 Australian Open after winning the Asia-Pacific Wildcard Playoff held in Chengdu, China.
The second seed, Niki representing India partnered with Thailand’s Pruchya Isaro, the pair won their first match against Tianzhi Qian and Bowen Wu and then went on to defeat Pak Long Yeung and Chih Chi Huang in the semifinals. In the final, they recorded a solid 6–4, 6–3 win over Japan’s Seita Kusuhara and Katsuki Nakagawa to claim the Australian Open wildcard. This gives Niki his first-ever Grand Slam main draw appearance. To recognise this achievement, KSLTA has announced a reward of ₹1,00,000 for Niki Poonacha.
KSLTA remains committed to supporting athletes representing Karnataka on national and international platforms and acknowledges milestones that contribute to the growth of tennis in the state.
Article Source: IANS
