Indian tennis legend Rohan Bopanna lashed out at the All India Tennis Association (AITA) and the Sports Ministry after major changes were made to the country’s tennis squad for the 2026 Asian Games, which will take place from September 19 to October 4 in the Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya, Japan. In a no-holds-barred remark, the Indian tennis legend questioned the rationale behind the decision that has led to the squad being trimmed.

For those unversed, Sahaja Yamalapalli, Vaishnavi Adkar, Manas Dhamne, Prarthana Thombare, and Vaidehee Chaudhari had qualified but will not be part of the Indian contingent. This is due to AITA following the sports ministry’s rule and only allowing players ranked among the top eight in Asia.

Boppanna claimed that the move sends the wrong message to parents and sponsors. The two Asian Games gold medalists stated that the decision cannot be made on paper when the athletes have earned their spot through the qualification metrics.

“I’m a proud Indian. And today, I want to speak up for these tennis players who deserve better. They didn’t ask for mercy. They asked for a chance. Dhamne. Adkar. Yamalapalli. Vaidehee. Thombare. Five players — including India’s No. 1 and No. 2 in women’s singles, who earned their rankings the hard way. No shortcuts. No favors. They competed internationally, qualified, and proved where they stand

“Now a committee that never stood where they stood has decided their fate on paper, before a ball is struck. If outcomes are already decided, why have qualification at all? Why rankings? This isn’t just a call about five athletes. It’s a message to every parent, every sponsor who backed them before the country did, who bet on merit and results, not on being pre approved. Telling these players they’re “not medal prospects” tells every one of those parent & sponsors: your judgment doesn’t matter here,” said Boppanna in a statement on his LinkedIn account.

“Sport is the one arena where belief outruns prediction, where the written off rewrite the script. You don’t build a sporting nation, or a sporting economy, by deciding in a boardroom who’s allowed to compete. Let them walk onto the court. Let their years of work count for something. Let sport decide. Not a spreadsheet,” he added.

India’s Asian Games Tennis Squad

India now has three singles players, each in the men’s and women’s singles, competing at the event. Moreover, there are as many doubles players travelling to Japan in each gender too. Three male and two female reserve players have also been announced.

Men’s

Women’s

Tennis has been an extremely productive sport for India in the competition’s history and a consistent source of medals. India has won 34 tennis Asian Games medals, including 10 golds. They are the fifth most successful country in the sport.