India’s Dhakshineswar Suresh (PTI Photo)

BENGALURU: Late on Sunday, he helped give Indian tennis something to dream about, but the last eight months themselves have been something out of a dream for Dhakshineswar Suresh.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!A final year Communications student at Wake Forest University in North Carolina, the 25-year-old, currently ranked 470 on the Tour, defeated seven players in the top-170 during the period. The biggest of those wins came over the weekend after he outplayed the Netherlands’ Jesper De Jong, a World No. 88, in the Davis Cup Qualifiers Round 1. Dominant service games and powerful groundstrokes caught everybody’s attention. There was more to come.As Sunday slipped into the next day, Suresh became the toast of the nation when he powered India into the second round of qualifiers with a famous win over Guy den Ouden in the decider. It was his booming serve that did the trick as he went on hammer 15 aces in the decisive fifth rubber, and ensured that India will now meet South Korea away in the second round of Davis Cup qualifiers in September.

Sending down thunderbolts has become Suresh’s trademark, the result of years of consistent practice. He oils his smooth service motion daily, sending down around 50-100 serves in training.It helps that he stands 6 ft 6 inches in his socks. His height plays a big role, as the Madurai man enjoys a higher contact point to meet the ball at full extension. This creates a steeper angle, which adds greater pace as it leaves the racquet. “I put my height to use and I work on my strengths. I try to get a basket of serves daily in training. It is always about the consistency,” said Suresh, who had enjoyed one of his best serving days last month against Croatia’s Duje Ajdukovic with 20 aces in the first round of the Bengaluru Open ATP 125 Challenger.“When I get into crucial moments, I tell myself that I did this a million times in training, so it is just another ball that I am going to hit. The serve is about practice, day in and out. That is how I trust myself on the serve,” he explained.Although the speed gun was unavailable in his last three tournaments he has competed in Bengaluru — World Tennis League, Bengaluru Open and Davis Cup — it was easy to see the ball fly off his racquet. His flat, powerful serve pushed opponents on the backfoot, which created an opening for him to close points.And even when his first serve deserts him, Suresh possesses a potent second kick serve that jumps sharply off the court. It is little wonder then that he recorded 33 aces and just six double faults across three singles matches in the Davis Cup. He had defeated Jerome Kym, ranked 155 then, of Switzerland, in his Davis Cup debut in Biel last year.India’s non-playing captain Rohit Rajpal shed more light on what he called a “gifted serve”. “Suresh has got a beautiful whip on his serve, which is difficult to achieve unless you have a loose stance and swing. He has a beautiful service motion, and that is why he gets great speed too. He has a very gifted serve. Not every tall player can serve well,” he said.Besides his serve, Suresh is also comfortable at the net, a skill sharpened through doubles play in college tennis. It was evident when Suresh paired with Yuki Bhambri in the doubles against the Dutch.A big test awaits Suresh on the Tour once he completes his degree in May. “I’ll finish my studies in the US, then come down in May and figure out my schedule. Once sorted, I’ll start getting into the Tour and prepare for the next Davis Cup,” he said.

Bengaluru: India’s Dhakshineswar Suresh (PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak)

Dhakshineswar Suresh announced himself as India’s newest Davis Cup match-winner on Sunday, sealing a stirring 3-2 victory over the Netherlands by clinching the decisive fifth rubber and guiding the hosts into Qualifiers Round 2. In just his second Davis Cup appearance, the 25-year-old delivered a performance that will be remembered for years. Dhakshineswar won both his singles matches and partnered Yuki Bhambri to victory in the doubles, completing a rare three-win haul in a single tie for India. The feat inevitably drew comparisons with Leander Paes’ legendary heroics against Japan in 2004, when Paes single-handedly won two singles and the doubles to carry India through. More than 20 years later, Dhakshineswar produced a similarly defining moment. Ranked as low as 465, he held his nerve under immense pressure in the final rubber against Guy de Ouden, winning 6-4, 7-6 (4). As his final forehand winner landed in, Dhakshineswar collapsed onto his back before being engulfed by teammates and lifted onto their shoulders, the celebrations marking another memorable European scalp for India. India had begun the tie as underdogs but found an opening when the Netherlands arrived without their top two singles players, world number 29 Tallon Griekspoor and world number 67 Botic van de Zandschulp. The absence gave India, ranked 33 in the Davis Cup standings, a genuine opportunity and they seized it, defeating the world number six team. The win also carried historic significance. It marked the first time India have reached the second round of the Qualifiers since the revamped Davis Cup format was introduced in 2019, moving them a step closer to the elite eight-team Finals. Korea are expected to be their next opponents. The tie was delicately poised at 1-1 at the start of Sunday’s play. Dhakshineswar and Bhambri then edged a gripping doubles contest, outlasting David Pel and Sander Arends 7-6 (0), 3-6, 7-6 (1) to give India a 2-1 lead. The match lasted nearly three hours and swung repeatedly before the home pair held their nerve in both tie-breaks. Sumit Nagal had a chance to close out the tie in the first reverse singles but could not capitalise. After taking the opening set, he went down 7-5, 1-6, 4-6 to world number 88 Jesper de Jong in a physically draining contest that stretched close to three hours. It was Nagal’s second loss of the tie, having also fallen in the opening singles. That left the responsibility squarely on Dhakshineswar, whom captain Rohit Rajpal had described as his “trump card”. Despite having already spent close to three hours on court earlier in the day in the doubles, Dhakshineswar showed no signs of fatigue as he walked out for the deciding rubber. His serve once again proved decisive. Dhakshineswar struck 15 aces and consistently dictated play behind his delivery. He earned the crucial break in the opening set in the seventh game when De Ouden committed back-to-back backhand errors. Although Dhakshineswar missed a set point in the ninth game, he regrouped immediately and sealed the set with an ace on his second chance. The second set was tighter. De Ouden fought hard to stay alive, saving a break point in the fifth game with a running forehand winner. Dhakshineswar broke again at 4-4 but then faced pressure while serving out the match, only to hold firm and force a tie-break. There, his composure and power stood out as he pulled away to close out the contest and complete a memorable win for the hosts. Earlier in the day, the doubles match had set the tone for India’s success. Rajpal’s bold decision to field Dhakshineswar in place of N Sriram Balaji for the high-stakes rubber proved inspired. The opening set was a test of patience. Bhambri’s serve came under sustained pressure, particularly in a long seventh game that featured multiple break points. Despite double faults and missed chances, the Indian pair survived, aided by Dhakshineswar’s sharp work at the net. Neither side could force a breakthrough, and the set went to a tie-break. There, the Indians suddenly surged ahead, racing to a 4-0 lead and closing it out without conceding a point, highlighted by a sharply angled passing winner from Dhakshineswar and a clean return winner from Bhambri. Momentum shifted in the second set as the Netherlands tightened up. Bhambri’s first-serve struggles returned, and the visitors secured a crucial break to level the match. The deciding set became a battle of endurance. India created several early opportunities, including a 0-40 opening on Pel’s serve, but failed to convert. Dhakshineswar then saved a break point in the next game, keeping India alive. More chances came and went before a turning point arrived when Arends took a medical timeout to receive treatment on his left hand. From that moment, his serve dipped, and the Indians finally seized control, closing out the match in the tie-break to put India within one win of victory. Dhakshineswar ensured there was no delay after that, delivering under pressure to script one of India’s most memorable Davis Cup wins in recent years.

Dhakshineswar Suresh once again showed why he is quickly becoming India’s trusted man in tennis, as he helped the hosts bounce back against the Netherlands in the Davis Cup Qualifiers first round in Bengaluru on Saturday.

After India lost the opening round in a closely fought match between Sumit Nagal and Guy den Ouden, the pressure was firmly on Suresh to level the tie. The 25-year-old Indian responded in style, defeating Dutch No. 1 Jesper de Jong 6-4, 7-5 in under 90 minutes on a bright and breezy afternoon.

With that win, India leveled the scores at 1-1, keeping the tie alive heading into Sunday’s decisive matches, where Nagal will face De Jong and Suresh will lock horns against Den Ouden.

A calm performance under pressure

Suresh’s performance was built around his biggest strength – his powerful serve. Standing at 6 feet 5 inches, the right-hander used his height and reach to full advantage, firing down nine aces and conceding just one break point, which he saved comfortably.

“I think my big serves and big forehand troubled De Jong the most,” Suresh said after the match. “In conditions like Bengaluru, the high altitude makes the ball travel faster. It’s tough to control the ball when I’m hitting hard, and I felt I could keep him under pressure.”

This is not the first time Suresh has delivered for India on the big stage. He made his Davis Cup debut in 2025 during the World Group-1 tie against Switzerland. On that occasion, he beat Jerome Kym, who was ranked 155 at the time, to give India an early lead in the tie.

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Who is Dhakshineswar Suresh?

Hailing from Tamil Nadu, Suresh’s journey has not been an overnight success. He spent several years playing collegiate tennis in the United States, first representing Georgia Gwinnett College before moving to Wake Forest University. The experience helped him develop his physical game and all-court skills.

A major milestone in Suresh’s career came in 2024, when he made his ATP main draw debut at the Winston-Salem Open. He received a wildcard entry into the doubles main draw, partnering Luca Pow, which gave him his first opportunity to compete at the highest level of the men’s tour.

He reached a career-high ATP singles ranking of world No. 465 on 2 February 2026. In doubles, he has enjoyed even more success, achieving a career-best ranking of No. 352 on 18 August 2025.

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