Bengaluru, July 6 (IANS) Two of Karnataka’s brightest young stars, Puneeth Manohar and Srishti Kiran, are officially set to make their historic grass-court debuts in the prestigious 14 & Under Junior Championships at Wimbledon, which will take place at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in London from July 9 to July 12.

Incidentally, Puneet and Srishti are the only Indians representing the country in the U-14 category.

Both the 14-year-old Bengaluru athletes earned their exclusive qualification spots following extraordinary, dominant campaigns in the finals of the ITF Asia 14 & Under Development Championships held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where they secured their places on the elite ITF Grand Slam Player Development Programme (GSPDP) touring team.

Puneeth enters the tournament as Asia’s No. 1-ranked player in the Under-14 division, a milestone he secured after clinching the Week 1 singles title in Colombo.

“Stepping onto the grass courts at Wimbledon is a dream I have had since I first picked up a racquet,” said Puneeth. “Finishing on top in the Asian Championships gave me a lot of confidence, and training on grass courts over the last few weeks has prepared me well. I am incredibly grateful to KSLTA, my coaches, and my sponsors for believing in me. I cannot wait to wear the Indian colours at the All England Club.”

Joining him in London is fellow Karnataka standout Srishti Kiran, who delivered an equally stellar performance by finishing as the girls’ singles runner-up across both competitive weeks of the Asian Championships.

“It feels surreal to think that I will be competing at Wimbledon this week,” said Srishti Kiran. “The competition in Colombo was intense, but it pushed me to play my best tennis. Transitioning to grass has been an amazing challenge, and I am focused on taking it one match at a time. Representing Karnataka and India on this global stage is an absolute honour.”

The duo has already arrived at the All England Club to undergo specialized grass-court practice sessions to acclimatise ahead of the tournament draw.

Sunil Yajaman, Joint Secretary of All India Tennis Association, said, “Having worked closely with junior development programs, watching Puneeth and Srishti transition from local state tournaments to the iconic courts of Wimbledon is incredibly rewarding. They have shown remarkable discipline and grit. Their presence at the All England Club will undoubtedly inspire thousands of young boys and girls across Karnataka and India to pick up a tennis racquet and dream big.”

The Wimbledon 14 & Under Championships are scheduled for July 9–12, 2026, held alongside the main Championships’ second week. Additionally, the regional “Play Your Way to Wimbledon” 14 U & Under National Finals (supported by the LTA) will take place at the Wimbledon grounds from August 2–6, 2026.

Wimbledon officially introduced the 14 & U singles event in 2022 to provide an international platform for top junior talent to compete on the historic grass courts. The tournament format typically features a round-robin group stage followed by semi-finals and consolation playoffs.

–IANS

bsk/