Jay Meena wins India’s first-ever soft tennis bronze medal at Asian Games

Jay Meena secured India’s first-ever soft tennis medal at the Asian Games, fetching a bronze after losing to Japan’s Takuya Kurosaka in the men’s singles semifinals in Nagoya on Wednesday (September 23, 2026).

Playing in his third Asian Games, the 26-year-old Meena produced a spirited fightback after falling three games behind but could not sustain the momentum, losing 2-4 (3-5, 1-4, 1-4, 4-1, 6-4, 1-4) to Kurosaka in the 45-minute clash.

Meena, who hails from Madhya Pradesh’s Dewas and is a 2022 National Games gold-medallist, struggled to find his rhythm early on as Kurosaka established an advantage, winning the first two games 5-3 and 4-1.

The Japanese player then moved further ahead by taking the third game 4-1, leaving Meena with little margin for error.

With his medal assured but a place in the final at stake, Meena mounted a strong fightback.