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 earlier missed the contest against Pakistan, citing that grass courts do not suit his style of play. While Nagal has opted out of the World Group I Play-off contest on February 1-2 in New Delhi, Sasikumar Mukund, who was serving a suspension, is back in the team. "After Captain Rohit Rajpal spoke with Mukund, his suspension was revoked by the Executive Committee, so he was picked. He is a good player and needs to be given a chance to wear the India jersey again," a source said as quoted by the news agency PTI.
The report added that Rajpal tried to convince Nagal but the ace Indian tennis star did not respond to the emails when asked about the players' 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.
Meanwhile, an AITA source told the news agency that "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.
AITA Secretary General Anil Dhupar, who is continuing in his role due to a petition challenging the fresh elections, had said that Nagal deliberately missed the Pakistan and Sweden ties. "Captain Rajpal has been nice to the players but it's time that he takes a strong stand against the players, who disrespect the captain's chair. Even star players like Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi never disrespected the captain despite having a big stature but the behaviour of today's generation is disgusting," said a member of the support staff on conditions of anonymity.
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.
Nagal 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.
"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."
"In professional sports, injury management is a complex science. Sometimes, just a few days of rest and targeted rehabilitation can make the difference between aggravating an injury and being fit to play again. I have been working diligently with my tennis and medical team to ensure I am in the best possible condition to return to the court whenever that would be."
"Regarding compensation, I want to clarify that it is standard practice in professional sports for athletes to be compensated for their participation in events, even when representing their country. This is not about personal gain. My discussions with AITA and the Davis Cup Captain are confidential and I would not like to indulge in any speculation about this."
"I am deeply committed to my country and will always give my best whenever I represent it. I look forward to future opportunities to wear the national colors and make my country proud, both on and off the court. Thank you for your understanding and support."
