Sumit Nagal, India’s top men’s singles tennis player, has opted out of the Davis Cup Group I play-off tie in Pakistan, citing the grass courts not being suitable for his playing style. The AITA secretary general Anil Dhupar has expressed his disappointment over the decision. However, Nagal defended his choice by highlighting that even renowned players like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic have skipped the Davis Cup multiple times in their careers.
Despite facing financial struggles, Nagal has recently achieved success in the sport, winning the Garden Open in Rome and the Tampere Challenger in Finland. He is also set to participate in the Tennis Premier League, where his team, the Gujarat Panthers, will compete against the Mumbai Leon Army on December 12. Nagal expressed his excitement about the league and commended its efforts to support tennis in India, acknowledging the challenges of securing funding for the sport in the country.
