Sumit Nagal crashes out of Shanghai Masters after first-round loss

The 27-year-old has been in the spotlight recently due to his public dispute with the All India Tennis Association (AITA) regarding his participation in the Davis Cup.

Sumit Nagal of India returns a shot in the 1st Round match against Yibing Wu of China on Day 3 of the 2024 Shanghai Rolex Masters at Qi Zhong Tennis Centre on October 02, 2024, in Shanghai, China. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Sumit Nagal crashed out of the Shanghai Masters after suffering a 6-3, 6-3 loss in the first round against China’s Wu Yibing on Wednesday.

The 27-year-old has been in the spotlight recently due to his public dispute with the All India Tennis Association (AITA) regarding his participation in the Davis Cup.

AITA claimed that Sumit Nagal demanded an annual fee of USD 50,000 to play Davis Cup ties for India, but the country’s top singles player defended himself, saying it is “standard practice” for athletes to be paid for their services.

Nagal had opted out of the recent Davis Cup tie against Sweden, citing a back strain that also forced him out of the US Open men’s doubles competition.

“Let the country decide if it is right or not. Then, it is the decision of the government and everybody. The players are also paid by TOPS. And it’s not that they don’t get paid for playing the Davis Cup. They do get paid,” AITA secretary Anil Dhupar said.

Nagal did not deny the AITA claim as he put his defence through a statement on social media.

“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,” he wrote in his statement.

(with inputs from PTI)