Sumit Nagal's wildcard nomination entry denied for Australian Open 2024 by AITA

He finished the 2023 season ranked 138th.

Sumit Nagal, India’s top-ranked singles player, has been denied a nomination wildcard entry into the Australian Open 2024 by the All India Tennis Association (AITA). This decision was made after Nagal chose not to participate in the Davis Cup tie against Pakistan.

The Indian had previously received a singles wildcard for the Australian Open 2021, which is reserved for a player from the Asia-Pacific region. This allowed him direct entry into the main draw of the Grand Slam. Despite his ranking improving from outside the top 500 to 138 within the year, AITA decided not to nominate him for the 2024 edition’s Asian slot.

Anil Dhupar, AITA’s secretary general, informed Nagal that his nomination would not be sent due to his refusal to participate in the Davis Cup. Nagal expressed his disappointment at this news and voiced concerns about the future of tennis in India.

Nagal and Mukund Sasikumar had withdrawn from India’s Davis Cup tie against Pakistan scheduled for February 2024 in Islamabad, which displeased AITA. Dhupar stated that to Hindustan Times, the federation needed to take a stand against players who decline to represent their country.

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Nagal, who had won both his singles matches in India’s Davis Cup World Group II home tie against Morocco, explained that his withdrawal from the Pakistan tie was primarily due to it being played on grass. He expressed sadness at AITA’s decision, especially considering his performance in Lucknow and his contribution to the country’s victory.

Since Nagal’s appearance in the Australian Open 2021, no other Indian singles player has featured in the main draw of a Grand Slam. Sumit Nagal, who reached a career-high world No. 122 in 2020 before a hip surgery affected his rankings, will now have to compete in the qualifying rounds in Melbourne for a spot in the 2024 Australian Open main draw.

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