From watching India's dramatic Davis Cup comeback against the Netherlands on YouTube to earning his first call-up, 18-year-old Manas Dhamne is ready to make his Davis Cup debut as India take on Korea Republic in Seoul, with a place in the Final 8 in Bologna at stake.
The 18-year-old Pune youngster is set to make his Davis Cup debut as India take on the Republic in Seoul, with a place in the Final 8 in Bologna at stake.
For Manas Dhamne, the road to his Davis Cup debut began from a distance.
When India produced a dramatic comeback against the Netherlands in Bengaluru earlier this year, Dhamne watched parts of the tie on YouTube, taking in the intensity, celebrations and emotion that came with India's memorable victory.
Now, just months later, the 18-year-old will be part of the Indian Davis Cup team travelling to Seoul for the Qualifiers Round 2 tie against Korea Republic on 18-19 September.
And the significance of the moment is not lost on him.
“When I heard the news (of his Davis Cup nomination) for the first time, I was super excited, super happy and super pumped. I cannot wait to get there, give my best and contribute as much as I can to the team.”
For Dhamne, the opportunity is not simply about making his first appearance in the Davis Cup environment. It is about learning, contributing and absorbing everything he can from a group that includes some of India's most experienced players.
Sumit Nagal, Yuki Bhambri and N Sriram Balaji have all spent years representing India on the international stage, and Dhamne sees the week in Seoul as an opportunity to learn from that experience.
“They all have a lot of experience, much more than me in the Davis Cup. I’ll try to take as much information as I can from them, keep an open mind and learn as much as I can.”
Inspired by the Netherlands comeback
The atmosphere surrounding India's victory over the Netherlands left a particular impression on the youngster.
Although he watched the tie remotely, Dhamne could feel the passion coming through the screen.
“I watched the tie against the Netherlands on YouTube, and the passion in all the guys was super high. The energy and emotions were super amazing to watch.”
That is something he now wants to experience first-hand and carry into India's next challenge.
“That’s what we need to take forward. The passion has to keep going and we have to try to take it to Korea as much as we can.”
The stakes in Seoul will be even higher. India are one tie away from securing a place in the 2026 Davis Cup Final 8 in Bologna, where the world's top eight nations will compete for the title later this year.
For a young player making his first appearance in the competition, it is a stage that Dhamne is relishing.
“Making it to the Final 8 will mean a lot for sure. I think that’s the ultimate goal and it would be one of the biggest achievements we can have to play there with the team.”
A familiar face in Team India
There is another personal element to Dhamne's first Davis Cup experience.
He will share the Indian team environment with fellow Pune youngster Arnav Paparkar, whom he has known since they were just six or seven years old.
Their journey has now taken them from growing up in the same city to sharing the same Indian Davis Cup setup.
“I know him since we were six or seven. We are from the same city, Pune. It’s really great to see someone in the team that I know from when I basically started my tennis career.”
Dhamne is also happy to see Paparkar's progress and have him around as both a friend and teammate.
“He’s doing great results, and it’s great to have him there as a friend and also as a teammate.”
For Dhamne, however, the focus remains firmly on the team objective.
India head into Seoul knowing that Korea leads the historical head-to-head 6-5. With the Final 8 on the line, the young debutant is eager to play his part in what promises to be another important chapter for Indian tennis.
From watching India's fightback against the Netherlands on a screen to standing alongside the Davis Cup team in Seoul, Dhamne's journey has moved quickly.
Now comes the chance to experience the Davis Cup passion for himself.
And, just maybe, help take Team India one step closer to Bologna.
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