Sumit Nagal Leads Indian Charge as Top Seed Crashes Out at ATP Delhi Open

Day 3 of the ATP Challenger Delhi Open 2026 served up drama, upsets, and spirited home-crowd performances at the DLTA Complex, with India’s Sumit Nagal emerging as the standout performer among the local contingent.

In a tournament featuring a strong 32-player singles draw and 16 doubles teams, Nagal delivered a composed and confident performance in the men’s singles first round to secure his second-round berth with a 6‑3, 7‑5 victory over Spain’s David Jorda Sanchis. Nagal broke early in the opening set and maintained control throughout, only relinquishing temporary momentum in the second before sealing the win. This marked Nagal’s first-ever main-draw win in the Delhi Open, much to the delight of the passionate home crowd.

The biggest headline of the day came in the form of a major upset as Kazakhstan’s Beibit Zhukayev stunned the tournament’s top seed, Australia’s Dane Sweeny , in a thrilling three-set battle. After narrowly dropping the first set in a tense tiebreak, Zhukayev turned the match around emphatically, winning the next two sets 6‑2, 6‑2 to send the crowd into raptures and exit the early favourite from the main draw. Sweeny, who arrived in New Delhi on the back of a strong start to the season, was expected to make a deep run. However, Zhukayev’s aggressive play and increased consistency on serve proved decisive.

While the day belonged to Nagal and Zhukayev, other seeded players also advanced with conviction. Rei Sakamoto progressed comfortably with a 6‑2, 6‑2 win over Portugal’s Frederico Ferreira Silva, while Jay Clarke of Great Britain battled past Poland’s Maks Kasnikowski 7‑6, 6‑4 , marking his first match win of the season.

Despite Nagal’s bright performance, other Indian hopefuls could not replicate his success. Eighteen-year-old Manas Dhamne, Manish Sureshkumar (a qualifier), and wildcard Digvijaypratap Singh all exited in straight sets after competitive encounters against higher-ranked opponents.

On the sidelines of the tournament, the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association (DLTA) honoured the Indian Davis Cup team for its recent 3‑2 victory over the Netherlands in the Davis Cup Qualifiers. The felicitation ceremony highlighted the growing stature of Indian tennis and reinforced support for national players on both domestic and international stages.

As the competition progresses towards the Round of 16, Indian fans will be hoping Nagal maintains his momentum and that other players can convert early promise into deeper runs in the ATP Challenger event, which runs through February 22 .