Historic Victory for Indian Tennis Star
In a remarkable achievement for Indian tennis, Pune-based player Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha has secured his spot in the 2026 Australian Open doubles main draw. The 30-year-old tennis professional, partnering with Thailand's Pruchya Isaro, emerged victorious at the Asia-Pacific Wildcard Playoff held in Chengdu, China.
Dominant Performance in Final
The second-seeded Indo-Thai combination displayed exceptional tennis throughout the tournament, culminating in a straight-sets victory over Japanese pair Yusuke Kusuhara and Shunsuke Nakagawa. The final scoreline of 6-4, 6-3 reflected their dominance and coordination on court.
"I am feeling pretty excited. Playing a Grand Slam was one of the biggest goals for me. I mean, for any tennis player, and for me, was even more. And I'm really enjoying the moment right now," an elated Poonacha shared with The Times of India from Chengdu.
Journey of Perseverance and Partnership
The successful partnership between Poonacha and Isaro began only in August this year, but they quickly found their rhythm. Their journey to this significant victory included several notable performances:
- Reaching the final of ATP Challenger 100 event in Japan
- Winning ATP Challenger 100 event in Shanghai in September
- Making semifinal appearances in two other tournaments
Despite their recent success, the pair faced challenges in the final when Isaro experienced foot pain. "We spoke, and he said, 'this is the last tournament, last match of the year. So we had to give our best.' And, we gave our best," Poonacha revealed.
Season Turnaround and Coaching Impact
The year 2025 presented significant challenges for Poonacha initially. "The start of the year was OK, but then the first half wasn't great. I wasn't performing well, I was mentally not 100 percent. I was doubting my game," he confessed.
The turning point came when he returned to train with his Croatian coach Borna Bikic. "Then everything changed when I went to train with my coach again in Croatia. I kind of started to perform better, get better, physically and even tennis wise," Poonacha explained.
Bikic, who previously worked with WTA stars Jelena Dokic and Agnieszka Radwanska, employs rigorous training methods. "His method of training is more like a military training. It works for me. Nothing different from what other players do, but more rigorous," Poonacha described, recalling one particularly intense session: "There was one day when we just served. Three hours straight, only serves and nothing else."
Support Systems and Future Prospects
The Doubles Dream of India programme, a CSR initiative of tech firm KPIT run through Pune District Tennis Association, provided crucial support. The program offers top-200 ranked doubles players access to travelling coaches and physiotherapists.
Poonacha also benefited from guidance by Raven Klaasen through the program. "I was fortunate to have Raven Klaasen from the Doubles Dream of India programme. He was there with us for two or three weeks in China. So altogether, it had a positive impact on our game," he acknowledged.
Currently ranked 146 in the world, Poonacha emphasized the significance of this achievement: "It means a great deal. Because all the sacrifices, all the effort, all the titles, all the tournaments, everything is to get into a Grand Slam. It's the first stepping stone to be a top player and to achieve something great."
The Asia-Pacific Wildcard Playoff, organized by Tennis Australia with support from Chinese tennis federation, provides main draw wildcards to players from the Asia-Pacific region ranked outside top-105. While Poonacha and Isaro celebrated their success, other Indian players including Sumit Nagal in singles and the duo of Ramkumar Ramanathan and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan in doubles exited in the quarterfinals.
