Two of Karnataka’s brightest young stars — Puneeth Manohar and Srishti Kiran — are hoping to make their mark as they make their grass-court debuts at the prestigious 14 and Under Junior Championships at Wimbledon.
While Manohar is currently facing Switzerland's Noah Hansberger in Group C of the boys' event , Srishti is slated to play her first match against Russian Lyubov Pronenko of Russia in Group D later. The tournament will take place at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in London from Thursday, July 9, to Sunday, July 12
Both the 14-year-old Bengaluru athletes earned their exclusive qualification spots following extraordinary, dominant campaigns at the ITF Asia 14 & Under Development Championships Finals held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where they secured their places on the elite ITF Grand Slam Player Development Programme (GSPDP) touring team.
Srishti Kiran delivered an stellar performance by finishing as the girls' singles runner-up across both competitive weeks of the Asian Championships. "It feels surreal to think that I will be competing at Wimbledon this week," said Srishti said ahead of her match. "The competition in Colombo was intense, but it pushed me to play my best tennis. Transitioning to grass has been an amazing challenge, and I am focused on taking it one match at a time. Representing Karnataka and India on this global stage is an absolute honour."
Puneeth Manohar enters the tournament as Asia’s No.1 ranked player in the Under-14 division, a milestone he secured after clinching the Week 1 singles title in Colombo. "Stepping onto the grass courts at Wimbledon is a dream I have had since I first picked up a racquet," said Puneeth.
Sunil Yajaman, Hon. Joint Secretary of All India Tennis Association said, "Having worked closely with junior development programs, watching Puneeth and Srishti transition from local state tournaments to the iconic courts of Wimbledon is incredibly rewarding. They have shown remarkable discipline and grit. Their presence at the All England Club will undoubtedly inspire thousands of young boys and girls across Karnataka and India to pick up a tennis racquet and dream big."
Additionally, the regional "Play Your Way to Wimbledon" 14 U & Under National Finals (supported by the LTA) will take place at the Wimbledon grounds from August 2–6, 2026. Wimbledon officially introduced the 14 & U singles event in 2022 to provide an international platform for top junior talent to compete on the historic grass courts. The tournament format typically features a round-robin group stage followed by semi-finals and consolation playoffs.