Who is Manas Dhamne? All you need to know about teen Indian tennis sensation

17-year-old Manas Dhamne emerged victorious at the M15 Monastir Futures event.

Manas Dhamne, an upcoming prodigy in Indian tennis, recently came under the spotlight after he captured his first professional title at an ITF M15 tournament in Monastir, where the 17-year-old went all the way as a qualifier.

In the final contest, Dhamne staged a sensational turnaround from a set down to defeat Italy’s Lorenzo Carboni 2-6 6-0 6-2.

Manas Dhamne is initially from Pune, a city in Maharashtra. He was previously coached in Pune by the wife of Gaurav Natekar, a seven-time Indian National Tennis Champion. He left India to train with Riccardo Piatti at the Piatti Tennis Center in Bordighera, Italy, a venue that has been home to the likes of current world No.1 Jannik Sinner.

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In October 2022, he became the youngest Indian to win a junior title at the ITF Asian B1 championships. So far in his short career, Dhamne has a couple of junior ITF titles along with the prestigious U-12 Eddie Herr Championship to his name.

After making his ATP debut in 2023, the Indian received a wildcard for the Tata Open Maharashtra in January but lost to American Michael Mmoh in the first round. Competing in the Boys’ Singles at the 2023 Australian Open, Dhamne became the youngest player to win a first-round match, defeating Jeremy Zhang in straight sets.

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Competing in his fourth tournament of the year, Dhamne, ranked 1013 in the ATP rankings, defeated several higher-ranked opponents after breezing through three qualifying rounds. He overcame Spain’s Alejo Sanchez Quilez (576), Austria’s Maximilian Neuchrist (589), and Spain’s Alberto Barroso Campos (539) in the main draw in his path to glory.

After winning his first senior men’s singles title, the Indian bagged a handsome cash prize of $15,000 following the event in Tunisia. During the battle for the cup, Dhamne demonstrated excellent nerve and composure, beyond his age. He took on Lorenzo Carboni, the same player whom the Indian had downed, earlier in the qualifying round. The Italian entered the event as a lucky loser.

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The 17-year-old was broken in his first service game, which saw Carboni race quickly to a 3-0 lead. The Italian claimed the first set easily. Dhamne though, came out all guns blazing as he broke his opponent’s serve on three consecutive instances to dish out a bagel.

MANAS DHAMNE CREATES HISTORY 🇮🇳🔥➡️ At 17 years 1 month, Manas Dhamne becomes the 2nd youngest Indian man ever to win a pro title ($15K Monastir, Tunisia)➡️ The youngest was Yuki Bhambri (16 years 10 months when he won the 2009 New Delhi Futures)➡️ Dhamne, however, is the… pic.twitter.com/3z38AXym2N

— Indian Tennis Daily (ITD) (@IndTennisDaily) February 9, 2025

After a spectacular 6-0 triumph in the second set, the young sensation carried the momentum into the deciding set, starting the set with an early break. Dhamne broke again in the seventh game and proceeded to close out the contest to script his career’s biggest achievement so far.

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At 17 years and one month, Manas became the second-youngest Indian Futures champion. Yuki Bhambri clinched the trophy at the 2009 New Delhi Futures, and Dhamne joined him on the list over 15 years later. The talented youngster has already had the opportunity to train with the likes of Jannik Sinner, Stan Wawrinka and Matteo Berrettini.

He also had a chance to visit Rafa Nadal Academy, the ATP Finals, and Wimbledon alongside meeting the legendary Rod Laver.

The recent Australian Open 2025 was a nightmare for Indian tennis players with all of them faring poorly, thereby casting doubts on the country’s future in the sport. However, recent events have provided a glimmer of hope for fans across the nation.

It certainly has been a promising week for India’s young tennis talents. Dhamne secured his maiden ITF title, while 15-year-old Maaya Rajeshwaran Revathi impressed by reaching the semi-finals of the WTA L&T Mumbai Open in her debut at that level as a wildcard qualifier.

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