Sumit Nagal to skip Davis Cup tie against Togo in February

India’s highest ranked singles tennis star, Sumit Nagal, continues to stay away from Davis Cup.

India’s top-ranked tennis player, Sumit Nagal, has reportedly opted out of national duty as he will be missing another tie of the Davis Cup. Nagal, ranked 98 in the world, had earlier missed the tie against Sweden citing back strain and he will now be absent in the contest against Togo in February 2025.

Nagal had also missed the contest against Pakistan, citing that grass courts do not suit his style of play. A report mentioned that captain Rohit Rajpal tried to convince Nagal to participate in the competition, but the ace Indian tennis star did not respond to the emails when asked about his availability.

“I am extremely disappointed with Sumit for not making himself available for this tie. We agreed to all his demands last time also still he has refused national duty which is unacceptable,” Rajpal told PTI. Nagal will now be replaced by Sasikumar Mukund, who was earlier serving a suspension which has now been revoked by the Executive Committee.

According to reports from the All India Tennis Association, “Nagal has put forward some unreasonable demands which can’t be accepted.” The source added that slow hard courts were chosen for the tie after Nagal’s insistence.

“It was on insistence of Nagal that slow hard courts were chosen for the tie but now he has said he won’t play. If he had made his stance clear, captain Rajpal would have opted for grass courts for this tie,” the AITA source said.

India’s top seed’s behavior left AITA Secretary General Anil Dhupar highly unimpressed who went on to say that even star players like Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi never disrespected the captain despite having a big stature.

Yuki Bhambri, who was also not part of the Sweden tie, has made himself unavailable for the contest. Ramkumar Ramanathan (ranked 393) and Karan Singh (473) are the two other singles players in the squad apart from Mukund.

Also Read: India drawn against Togo in Davis Cup World Group I play-offs, tie to take place next January

While Sumit hasn’t commented on the matter yet, he had earlier issued a clarification after missing out on the Davis Cup tie against Sweden. “Representing my country is always a privilege and an honor that I hold in the highest regard. One of the highlights of my career was being able to represent India at the Olympics.

“It was a difficult decision to withdraw from the Davis Cup, as playing for the national team is a moment I cherish deeply,” he had said in a social media post.

Citing injury concerns, Nagal added, “However, after consulting with my medical team, it became clear that competing while carrying an injury could not only jeopardise my health but also adversely impact the team’s chances.

“I believe it is better for the team and for the country to have someone at 100% rather than risking further injury and potentially disrupting the match. I had informed AITA well in advance about my inability to participate.”

Sumit Nagal’s withdrawal from the Davis Cup could have significant repercussions, particularly as this isn’t his first instance of opting out. His most recent participation was in the World Tennis League, where he teamed up with World No. #1 Aryna Sabalenka, representing the Hawks, who ultimately finished as runners-up in the competition.

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