THE big-serving Dhakshineswar Suresh became the first Indian player to pick up a tour-level ATP singles victory in 2026. A look at the 26-year-old's 6-3, 7-5 win over Marcos Giron at Winston Salem...
Who is Suresh?
A player who has come in via the American collegiate system over the last few years. His biggest victory so far had been two Davis Cup singles wins against the Netherlands in Bengaluru in February. He has featured a lot on the Challenger circuit in 2026. His biggest result there in 2026 was a semifinal at Bloomfield Hills as a qualifier. He had earned 10 ATP points for his run in July.
Is Winston Salem a Challenger event?
No, Winston Salem is a 250-level event. He played at the event last year as well when he lost in the first round after advancing via the qualifiers. In 2026, he had actually lost in the second round of the qualifiers but came in as a lucky loser. In the first round against Marcos Giron on Monday, Suresh used his biggest weapon --the service -- to beat Giron, the World No. 77.
Has Suresh won a tour-level match before?
No, this is first ever win at this level. However, he has won three Davis Cup singles rubbers for India (one in 2025 and two in 2026). In fact, the last time an Indian singles player a main draw tour level match was in 2024 when Sumit Nagal won a first round match at Kitzbuhel in July 2024 (Lukas Klein).
Who is he playing next?
Argentina's eighth-seed, Juan Manuel Cerundolo, is his opponent in the second round. But the World No. 394 is not scheduled to play more tour-level events, at least for the time being. He wasn't eligible to get a US Open qualifying berth. In fact, the only Indian men's player who is in the qualifying draw is Sumit Nagal.
