Dhakshineswar Suresh beats years of struggle and COVID setback to emerge as India's new tennis pin-up boy

For a second day running, India’s unheralded tennis player Dhakshineswar Suresh emerged as their biggest tennis star as the hosts defeated the Netherlands 3-2 in their Davis Cup 2026 Qualifier 1 tie in Bengaluru. After beating Dutch No 1 Jesper de Jong on Saturday to help India make a comeback and end the first round on 1-1, the 25-year-old from Madurai teamed up with Yuki Bhambri to win the doubles match against David Pel and Sander Arends on Sunday.

Netherlands, however, made it 2-2 with De Jong beating an injured Sumit Nagal in the first reverse singles, only for Dhakshineswar Suresh to script another comeback. This time by beating Guy Den Ouden. He celebrated it by dropping to the ground as he was mobbed by the Indian team and support staff.

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No challenge is too big for Dhakshineswar Suresh

That moment must have been very gratifying, basking in the glory after innumerable struggles.

He is on the front of all newspapers today, but Dhakshineswar Suresh’s rise has been far from smooth. Growing up in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, he didn’t come through a traditional high-performance Indian tennis pipeline, and early in his career, he struggled to break into higher-level professional tournaments because of his low ranking and limited exposure on the international circuit.

Also Read | Dhakshineswar Suresh steps up for India in Davis Cup Qualifiers - who is he?

To get the competition and coaching he needed, he chose to move to the United States to play collegiate tennis, first at Georgia Gwinnett College and later at Wake Forest University, balancing academics with sport while trying to build his game and ranking.

Scenes from an historic win for India on home soil as they beat Netherlands 3-2 in an epic encounter 🇮🇳🫡

Dhakshineswar Suresh beats Guy Ouden 6-4, 7-6 (4) to help his nation progress to Qualifiers 2nd Round 👏#DavisCup pic.twitter.com/8f5hhZ4KlD

— Davis Cup (@DavisCup) February 8, 2026

Like many fellow players, Suresh’s momentum was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The global shutdown of tournaments meant he had fewer chances to compete, earn ranking points, and maintain form, forcing him to reset his progress once events resumed. On top of that, he lost nearly a year due to an injury, which not only hampered his training but also delayed the natural climb up the rankings that comes from consistent match play.

Even after returning to competition, the grind continued. Suresh spent years playing ITF and Challenger level events to slowly improve his rankings, often without big financial backing or sponsorships that support travel and coaching.

Despite these setbacks, including some tough losses and physical challenges during events such as the Bengaluru Open, he has shown resilience and steady improvement. His efforts eventually culminated in a breakthrough Davis Cup performance.

Say hello to the man of the moment. 🇮🇳🔥
Not written in rankings.
Written in courage.
Written in nerve.
Dhakshineswar Suresh — the heartbeat of India’s Davis Cup triumph.@DavisCup @ITFTennis pic.twitter.com/rgoc3UPhkM

— All India Tennis Association (@AITA__Tennis) February 8, 2026

“It’s just a different feeling when you’re playing for your country,” Suresh said after India defeated the Netherlands. “You are not playing for yourself, you’re playing for the whole nation. I have played some different tennis in these last four matches at the Davis Cup. I’m really happy that I did that.”

While India would want him win more and improve from here, we hope he also finds more sponsors to lead on a glorious path that is quite possible with the right amount of hard work, luck and support.