Jay Meena created history for India on Wednesday, guaranteeing the country’s first-ever soft tennis medal at the Asian Games after securing his ticket to the men’s singles semi-finals at Aichi-Nagoya 2026.

Meena defeated Sherwin Nuguit of the Philippines in a thrilling quarter-final showdown, grinding out a 4-3 win to secure his place in the final four. The Indian star played out a rollercoaster game, which ended with a scoreline of 0-4, 4-2, 2-4, 5-3, 2-4, 7-5 to overcome a stern test from his opponent. Every semi-finalist in soft tennis is guaranteed at least a bronze medal, confirming Meena's milestone soft tennis medal for India. He now moves forward to the semi-finals, looking to extend his historic run toward the gold medal match.