India travel to Seoul for Davis Cup 2026 Qualifiers Round 2 tie on September 18–19
India travel to South Korea for a Davis Cup 2026 Qualifiers Round 2 tie at the Seoul Olympic Park Tennis Centre on September 18–19, with the winner advancing to the competition’s Final 8. India require victory to reach the quarter-finals of the 2026 Davis Cup, which would be only the fourth time overall and their first since 1987.
Indian tennis has struggled in recent seasons, with Rohan Bopanna’s retirement and Sumit Nagal’s exit from the top-200 ATP rankings cited as setbacks for the sport in the country. India reached this second-round tie after upsets over Switzerland and the Netherlands in earlier qualifying rounds, with DK Suresh playing a decisive role in the victory over the Dutch.
Sumit Nagal enters the tie as India’s top-seeded singles player, but his recent results have been underwhelming; he lost in the first-round qualifying of the US Open to Arthur Gea. DK Suresh remains a key figure for India after his performance against the Netherlands, and Manas Dhamne, Dhakshineswar Suresh and N. Sriram Balaji are also in the squad.
India named Sumit Nagal, Manas Dhamne, Dhakshineswar Suresh, Yuki Bhambri and N. Sriram Balaji in their playing group, with Rohit Rajpal listed as Non-Playing Captain. South Korea selected Kwon Soonwoo, Chung Hyeon, Hong Seongchan, Park Uisung and Nam Jisung, with Jeong Jong-sam as Non-Playing Captain. Note: Exact draw is yet to be released.
South Korea’s leading threat is Kwon Soonwoo, who is currently ranked No. 154 and has won three challenger titles this season; the source describes him as the most in-form singles player in the tie. Chung Hyeon, Hong Seongchan, Park Uisung and Nam Jisung complete the Korean singles and doubles options available to their captain.
Yuki Bhambri, normally an integral part of India’s doubles plans, has been ruled out of the second-round tie due to a right-leg strain. South Korea’s doubles pairing are noted as being ranked outside the top-100, a factor that India sees as offering an advantage in the second singles match and the doubles rubber.
Match timings at the Seoul Olympic Park Tennis Centre have been confirmed: Day 1 on Friday, September 18, will start at 2:00 pm local time (10:30 AM IST), while Day 2 on Saturday, September 19, will begin at 12:00 pm local time (08:30 AM IST). Indian supporters have been directed to the VETO OTT app for live streaming; the report states there is no live telecast available in India. The Indian team posted on social media, writing "ALL SET FOR SEOUL CHALLENGE." and "One tie away from the Davis Cup Final 8."
The outcome of the two-day tie will decide which nation reaches the Davis Cup Final 8; a win for India would deliver their first quarter-final appearance since 1987 and only their fourth overall in the competition’s history.