Nepali tennis player Abhishek Bastola has become the first player from the country to gain acceptance into the Australian Open 2027 Asia-Pacific Wild Card Play-off, marking another milestone for Nepali tennis.
Bastola will compete in the men's singles qualifying event beginning November 23 in Chengdu, China. The tournament features 35 of Asia's top players, according to the information provided by Bastola.
The winner of the play-off will earn a wild-card entry into the men's singles main draw of the 2027 Australian Open, one of tennis's four Grand Slam tournaments, in Melbourne.
Bastola is listed as Q WC 3 (Qualifying Wildcard 3) in the entry information dated November 2, 2026. His ATP ranking is listed as NR (not ranked).
The 29-year-old from Pokhara has previously made history as the first Nepali male player to earn an official International Tennis Federation (ITF) world ranking and the first Nepali to compete in an ATP Challenger Tour qualifying event. He has also represented Nepal at four Asian Games and holds the country's record for Davis Cup singles victories.
Bastola's entry into the Australian Open Asia-Pacific play-off adds another landmark to his career on the international tennis circuit.
