Sumit Nagal, the top player in India's singles rankings, withdrew from the ATP Hangzhou Open on Thursday, citing a back injury, amid accusations made by the All India Tennis Association (AITA) that he and two other players declined to play in India's Davis Cup match against Sweden "despite being involved in other tournaments". The 82nd-ranked Nagal was slated to play Japan's Yasutaka Uchiyama in the opening round of this week's ATP 250 event in China on Thursday. A few hours before the game, Nagal withdrew. 

 

In a long social media post on Thursday, Nagal said that he had "notified AITA well in advance about my inability to participate" in the match against Sweden, who defeated India 4-0.  AITA released a press release on September 2nd, stating that Nagal had to withdraw from the tie because of a back ailment. Following India's dismal performance against the Swedes in Stockholm over the weekend, which drew criticism, the association defended the team management and itself while blaming a few players. AITA claimed in a statement shared on social media on Tuesday that "players like Sumit Nagal, Yuki Bhambri, and Mukund Sasikumar refused to play for country even though they were participating in other tournaments elsewhere." Anil Dhupar, secretary general of AITA, questioned Nagal's injuries as well. "Sumit Nagal mentioned having a back issue, but is that issue resolved now? He is competing in an event in China," PTI cited Dhupar as saying.

 

It was evident, Nagal stated on Thursday, "that competing while carrying an injury could not only jeopardise my health but also adversely impact the team's chances" in the Davis Cup match, following discussions with his medical staff. "In my opinion, having a player at 100% is preferable for the team and the nation than running the danger of suffering another injury and maybe interfering with the game. In his statement, Nagal stated, "I had notified AITA well in advance about my inability to participate." Nagal, who is the lone Indian in the top 100 singles rankings and has had a great season thus far, last participated in the US Open singles first round last month before withdrawing from his doubles opening in New York. A few days of rest and focused therapy can sometimes be the difference between making an injury worse and returning to play.