Thai tennis marks the second consecutive year with a player competing in a Grand Slam

Thai tennis has shown remarkable progress over the past year.

Pruchya Isaro, currently the top men's doubles player in Southeast Asia, has officially secured a wildcard entry to the first Grand Slam of 2026: the Australian Open, partnering with Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha.

The duo Pruchya (ranked 156 globally) and Kaliyanda Poonacha (ranked 151 globally) are seeded in the qualifying rounds for the 2026 Australian Open men's doubles in the Asia-Pacific region, and are considered strong contenders to reach the main draw.

With their strong chemistry honed through many tough ATP Challenger Tour events, they delivered an outstanding performance in Chengdu, China this year—winning every set on their path to the prestigious Australian Open.

In their opening match, Pruchya/Niki defeated the 7th-seeded home team Sun Fajing/Zeng Yaojie decisively 6-4, 6-2. The same scoreline applied in their semifinal win against South Korea’s strong pair Nam Ji-sung/Park Ui-sung. In the final qualifying round, the Thai-Indian duo needed only two sets (6-4, 6-3) to overcome Japan’s Yusuke Kusuhara/Shunsuke Nakagawa.

This will be the first Grand Slam appearance for both Pruchya Isaro and Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha. For Thai tennis, this marks the second consecutive year that the "Land of Smiles" has had a representative at a Major tournament— as was the case with Kasidit Samrej also in the Asia-Pacific qualifying rounds for the 2025 Australian Open.

Kasidit even nearly caused a major upset against Daniil Medvedev only losing after a five-set battle against the former world number one.

Pruchya Isaro, aged 30, is an experienced player in Thai tennis. He now focuses on men's doubles and reached his career-high ranking of 131 in September this year. Pruchya is currently the highest-ranked men's doubles player in Southeast Asia.

Representing Thailand’s national team, Pruchya has shone by helping secure 2 gold medals in team events and 2 silver medals in mixed doubles at SEA Games 31 and 32. He also earned a bronze medal at the 19th Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China in 2023—partnering with fellow Thai Maximus Jones.

Thai tennis has experienced significant growth over the past year. Alongside the consistent performance of Pruchya Isaro and the breakthrough of Kasidit Samrej, Jones has made his mark with a Challenger Tour title; Lanlana Tararudee reached the semifinals of the WTA 250 Chennai (India), and Mananchaya Sawangkaew once approached the top 100 in women’s singles before an injury, recently returning to competition.

The peak form of these key players is essential for Thai tennis to aim for success at the 33rd SEA Games. The host nation’s goal is to win at least 4 gold medals out of the 7 tennis events.

Related article

Thailand brings its strongest tennis team to the 33rd SEA Games The Thai tennis team is determined to win gold at this year’s SEA Games on home soil, bringing their top players. See also