Why is Tennis not part of Commonwealth Games 2026?
Glasgow CWG will feature only 10 sports.
When the 2026 Commonwealth Games gets underway on July 23, tennis fans will once again find their sport absent from the event. However, unlike other sports such as badminton, table tennis, squash, and hockey, the absence of tennis was neither unexpected nor new.
Tennis has featured at the Commonwealth Games only once in the event’s 96-year history, at the 2010 Delhi Games, and has not appeared since. The sport did not make the cut for Glasgow 2014, Gold Coast 2018, or Birmingham 2022, and Glasgow 2026 is no different.
According to the Commonwealth Games Federation, tennis is an optional sport, meaning host cities can decide whether to include it or not. Unlike athletics, swimming and boxing, which are mandatory fixtures at every edition, tennis has no guaranteed place at the Games.
In Delhi, India exercised their right as host to add the sport to the programme, resulting in its only appearance to date. For Glasgow CWG, the situation is further shaped by the extraordinary circumstances under which the city came to host the Games at all.
The Australian state of Victoria had originally been awarded the 2026 edition but pulled out in 2023 citing rising costs. Glasgow stepped in at short notice with a drastically reduced blueprint, cutting the sports programme from 20 events at Birmingham 2022 to just 10, operating across four venues.
The priority was economic viability; therefore, the sports were selected based on venue availability, operational feasibility, and broadcast value.
Under those criteria, racquet sports across the board were left out. Badminton and squash, both of which had featured at previous Games, were also dropped.
Indian Tennis medal winners at the Commonwealth Games
| Year – City | Player (Event) |
|---|---|
| 2010 – Delhi | Somdev Devvarman (Men’s Singles, Gold) |
| 2010 – Delhi | Sania Mirza (Women’s Singles, Silver) |
| 2010 – Delhi | Mahesh Bhupathi & Leander Paes (Men’s Doubles, Bronze) |
| 2010 – Delhi | Sania Mirza & Rushmi Chakravarthi (Women’s Doubles, Bronze) |
When will the Glasgow CWG begin?
The CWG 2026 will begin on July 23.
Why is Tennis not part of Commonwealth Games 2026?
Budget constraints and Glasgow’s reduced 10-sport programme contributed to its continued exclusion.
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Aniruddh Seshadri Iyer is a passionate sports journalist at Khel Now, specializing in tennis and Olympic sports. An engineer by training, he found his storytelling passion through iconic Grand Slam and Olympic moments. Known for sharp analysis and insightful coverage, he draws inspiration from Novak Djokovic’s resilience. Outside journalism, he enjoys reading, traveling, and playing the guitar.