The All India Tennis Association (AITA) has declined to nominate Sumit Nagal for a wildcard entry into the 2024 Australian Open.
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This decision follows Nagal's withdrawal from the Davis Cup tie against Pakistan, which is set to be held in February 2024 in Islamabad, prompting AITA to take a stand against players who refuse national assignments.
What is the wildcard process and how does it work?
Nagal previously received a singles wildcard for the 2021 Australian Open, which was reserved for a player from the Asia-Pacific region, helped him gain direct entry into the main draw.
For his remarkable rise in rankings from outside the top 500 to the current 138th position, Nagal could have been eligible for a similar wildcard slot for the 2024 Australian Open.
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The national federation is required to send an email to the Australian Open organizers, officially nominating a specific player for the wildcard. However, since AITA did not choose to send the nomination, Nagal cannot directly participate in the main draw.
What did Sumit Nagal and AITA say?
“Anil Dhupar (AITA secretary general) had called me and said he won't send the nomination since I said no to the Davis Cup," Nagal said on Monday. Nagal is currently the highest-ranked Indian tennis player on the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals, men's governing body) charts.
“To be honest, getting this call from him and hearing him say this was a bummer. I really hope things will get better in future or else tennis is going to die even faster in India," he added.
"My opting out for Davis Cup (tie against Pakistan) was majorly because of it being played on grass. It is really sad to see this decision coming after looking at my performance in Lucknow and securing the win for the country. I have missed Wimbledon for the same reasons as well in the past.”
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Whereas, Dhupar stood firm on his decision and emphasized the need for players' commitment to national duties.
“One cannot expect to pull out of a Davis Cup assignment for the country and then expect something in return from the federation. Why should we send anything from our end to nominate him? AITA had to take a stand against such things at some point,” Dhupar said.
How can Sumit Nagal qualify for the Australian Open?
Nagal will now have to go through qualifying rounds in Melbourne to secure a place in the main draw of the 2024 Australian Open.
When did an Indian last play in a grand slam singles main draw?
Nagal was the last player to play in a singles grand slam main draw. This happened back in the 2021 Australian Open when he received a wildcard from the AITA.
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