Rahul Belwal wins 30+ men’s singles title at Madhya Pradesh Open

Fifteen-three is not a title match scoreline that invites debate. Rahul Belwal blew past Vishnu Rajaa in the 30+ men’s singles final at the Madhya Pradesh Open, and the gap said almost everything: Belwal dictated the rallies, owned the court position and never let the match breathe.

This was not a coin-flip final that swung on a few loose points. Belwal’s sharper placement, quicker movement and relentless pace made the difference from the start, and the 15-3 result reflected total control rather than a late surge. In a bracket that often rewards consistency over flash, he looked like the player who had already figured out the level everyone else was still trying to reach.

The setting gives the win more weight. The Madhya Pradesh Open was an Indian Pickleball Association-sanctioned PWR 400 event in Indore on May 17, and that matters in a sport trying to build a real competitive ladder in India. The IPA, which says it is the national sports federation for pickleball in India and is recognized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, sits at the center of that structure. So when Belwal runs through a 30-plus final this convincingly, it reads as more than a bracket win. It reads like a marker in the pecking order.

Belwal has been making that case for a while. He won the 35+ men’s singles title at the fourth IPA Pickleball Nationals in Greater Noida in January 2025, where he beat fellow Delhi player Santosh Bhagat in three games. At Indore, he also reached the 30+ men’s doubles final with Nilesh Desai, then lost 15-11 to Mayank Narang and Mahendra Kumar Gupta on May 18. Even with the doubles defeat, Belwal left the event with a singles title and a runner-up finish, a strong two-way showing at one of the more meaningful stops on the amateur calendar.

That broader draw matters too. The Madhya Pradesh Open also produced results in U14 girls’ singles, U18 boys’ doubles, 30+ women’s doubles, 40+ women’s doubles, 50+ men’s doubles and open women’s singles, a spread that shows how deep the age-group game is getting. Indore is being described as an emerging pickleball hub, and officials are discussing additional facilities. For now, the clearest signal out of this event is simple: in the 30-plus men’s draw, Rahul Belwal is the name everyone else has to chase.