Sumit Nagal to compete in World Tennis League
India's top tennis star Sumit Nagal is set to participate in the World Tennis League (WTL), joining a lineup that features some of the biggest names in the sport. The event is scheduled from December 19 to 22 at the Etihad Arena.
It will see global stars like World No. 5 Daniil Medvedev and US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka in action. While Nagal, ranked 83rd in the world, has confirmed his involvement, it is still unclear which team he will represent in the highly anticipated tournament.
The WTL will showcase a stellar roster of athletes, including two Olympic gold medalists, five Grand Slam champions, and several top-ranked players. Among them are World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, reigning Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova and Paris Olympics gold medalist Jasmine Paolini.
In the men's event, Medvedev, along with Andrey Rublev, Taylor Fritz, Hubert Hurkacz, and Casper Ruud, are set to light up the courts.
Sumit Nagal crashes out of Shanghai Masters
However, Sumit Nagal's recent form hasn’t been stellar. In the ongoing Shanghai Masters, he bowed out in the first round with a 6-3, 6-3 defeat to China's Wu Yibing. This marked the 27-year-old’s second consecutive early exit from the main draw, following his first-round loss at the US Open in August to Tallon Griekspoor of the Netherlands.
Sumit Nagal's struggles have been worsened by a back injury in recent times, which has limited his performance over the last few months. The injury forced him to withdraw from the US Open men’s doubles competition and the Davis Cup tie against Sweden as well as the Hangzhou Open.
His absence from Davis Cup duty was part of a larger dispute with the All India Tennis Association (AITA), with Nagal defending his request for an annual fee to represent India, stating that it is standard practice for athletes to be compensated for representing their country.