Prajnesh Gunneswaran set to regain India No. 1 spot in tennis

Prajnesh Gunneswaran will regain his status as the top-ranked Indian tennis player when the latest ATP rankings are announced next week.

This after the Chennai-born Davis Cupper made it to the semi-finals of the ongoing Orlando Open, an ATP Challenger event in Florida, USA.

His win over Kazakhstan’s Dmitry Popko means Prajnesh Gunneswaran will climb to at least the 133rd spot on the ATP charts even if he fails to make the final at the Challenger event this week.

With Sumit Nagal, who is placed 136th, drawing his season to a close last month, the latest movements on the ATP Rankings chart will see Prajnesh Gunneswaran become the highest-ranked Indian, a position he last held in 2019. 

The 2019 season was one to remember for Prajnesh Gunneswaran. It was the year that saw him make the main draw of all the four Grand Slams and record some impressive wins on the ATP circuit.

Though he couldn’t wrap up 2019 in a similar fashion with injuries and the death of his father derailing his season, Prajnesh Gunneswaran was looking forward to a competitive 2020.

But the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdown and restrictions on international travel somewhat hampered his plans. 

While Sumit Nagal, based out of Germany, could resume his season much earlier than the others in India, once on the tour, Prajnesh Gunneswaran has not looked back. 

While the Indian tennis player returned at the Generali Open, an ATP 250 event in Austria, in September, it wasn’t until a month later that Prajnesh Gunneswaran was back to his winning ways. 

Prajnesh made a semi-final appearance at the Wolffkran Open, an ATP Challenger in Ismaning, Germany and reached the final of the Atlantic Tire Championships -- also an ATP Challenger event -- in North Carolina. These stood him in good stead.

If Prajnesh can clinch the Orlando title, it will be a good way to end a difficult year and welcome 2021, the year of the Olympics.