Nepal’s top tennis player Abhishek Bastola will be competing in the Australian Open 2027 Asia-Pacific Wildcard Playoff, which is taking place in Chengdu, China, from November 23 to 28.
The Australian Open, widely known as the Grand Slam of Asia-Pacific, is one of the largest and most prestigious sporting events in the world.
The playoff is open to all nationals from the Asia-Pacific region with a world ranking of 105+ for men and women, excluding Australians.
Bastola will play in the singles. He got one of the four wildcards in the qualifying round, where eight athletes are competing.
The top four players from the qualifying round will progress to the main draw, where 12 top-seeded players will be waiting.
Bastola, who has represented Nepal in four Asian Games, is the first Nepali to play in the tournament.
“It has been a dream to play in the Australian Open,” Bastola said in a press conference on Wednesday. “I will give my best in the tournament.”
Meanwhile, Bastola stressed that he has not received any proper support either from the state or the tennis association.
All winners (Singles and Doubles) of the Wild Card Playoff will be listed on the Australian Open entry list.
Nayak Paudel covers sports for The Kathmandu Post. He previously worked at the Post (2018–19) and spent over five years at The Rising Nepal. His reporting spans crime, health, education, and social issues.
