Indian tennis great and two-time Asian Games gold medallist Rohan Bopanna on Monday criticised the changes made to India’s tennis squad for the 2026 Asian Games, questioning why players who earned their places through international performances were denied the opportunity to compete through his post on social media platform LinkedIn.

Five players — Manas Dhamne, Vaishnavi Adkar, Sahaja Yamalapalli, Prarthana Thombare and Vaidehee Chaudhari — were affected after the selection process was revised in line with a Sports Ministry rule restricting participation to players ranked among Asia’s top eight.

Bopanna said the decision undermined merit-based selection and could also affect the confidence of athletes, families and sponsors who had backed their careers.

What actually happened?

India’s Asian Games tennis selection was altered after the Sports Ministry applied its rule that only athletes considered realistic medal prospects, including players ranked among the top eight in Asia, should be sent to the Games.

The changes affected five players who had earned their rankings through international competition. Bopanna questioned the logic behind allowing athletes to compete and build rankings if those performances could later be overlooked during selection.

The five players at the centre of the controversy are Sahaja Yamalapalli, Vaishnavi Adkar, Manas Dhamne, Prarthana Thombare and Vaidehee Chaudhari.

Why is Bopanna unhappy with the selection?

Bopanna argued that the affected players had not received their rankings through special treatment or shortcuts. Instead, he said, they had competed internationally and earned their positions on merit.

The former world No. 1 doubles player questioned why rankings and qualification pathways were relevant if a committee could ultimately determine participation before the competition began.

He suggested that sporting selection should reward performances achieved on the court rather than rely solely on predictions about an athlete’s medal prospects.

Bopanna raises concerns over parents and sponsors

Bopanna also highlighted the wider consequences of the decision, saying the issue was not limited to the five players.

According to him, parents and sponsors had invested time, money and faith in these athletes because of their performances and results. He argued that ruling out players as unlikely medal winners could send a discouraging message to those who support athletes before they receive recognition from the national system.

Let sport decide

Bopanna maintained that sport cannot always be predicted by rankings or calculations made before an event.

He argued that athletes who are written off can often produce unexpected results once they step onto the court. In his view, India’s sporting system should therefore give qualified players the opportunity to compete instead of deciding their chances in a boardroom.

Bopanna’s central argument was that the final outcome should be determined by competition itself, rather than a spreadsheet or pre-event assessment of medal prospects.

Who is in India’s tennis squad for Asian Games 2026?

India’s final tennis contingent includes three singles players and three doubles players in both the men’s and women’s categories.

Men’s squad

Singles: Sumit Nagal, Manas Dhamne, Dhakshineswar Suresh

Doubles: Yuki Bhambri, N Sriram Balaji, Anirudh Chandrasekar

Reserves: Karan Singh, Rithvik Bollipalli, Niki Poonacha

Women’s squad

Singles: Sahaja Yamalapalli, Vaishnavi Adkar, Vaidehi Chaudhari

Doubles: Rutuja Bhosale, Prarthana Thombare, Ankita Raina

Reserves: Zeel Desai, Shruti Ahlawat

Asian Games 2026 schedule

The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games will be held in Japan from September 19 to October 4, 2026.

Tennis will be among the sports in which India will look to add to its Asian Games medal tally. The sport has traditionally been one of India’s stronger disciplines at the continental event, making the selection controversy particularly significant ahead of the Games.