Sumit Nagal faced an early exit from the Shanghai Masters after a 6-3, 6-3 defeat in the first round to China’s Wu Yibing on Wednesday. Despite the loss, the Indian tennis player secured a prize of $23,250 (₹19.53 lakhs).
With Nagal now out, another Indian tennis star, Ramkumar Ramanathan, steps into the spotlight. Ranked 111th in singles, Ramkumar will be facing the 45th-ranked Kazakh player, Alexander Shevchenko, in the round of 128 on Thursday.
Nagal’s dispute with AITA over Davis Cup participation
Recently, Sumit Nagal has been in the news due to his disagreement with the All India Tennis Association (AITA) concerning his Davis Cup participation. AITA claimed that Nagal demanded an annual fee of $50,000 to play in the Davis Cup, which Nagal defended by saying that it’s a “standard practice” for athletes to receive compensation for their services.
Shanghai Masters points and Prize money breakdown (in INR)
| Round | Ranking points (Singles) | Ranking points (Doubels) | Prize Money (Singles) | Prize Money (Doubles) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Champion | 1000 | 1000 | ₹9,23,89,000 | ₹3,75,68,727 |
| Runner-up | 650 | 600 | ₹4,91,34,150 | ₹1,98,88,832 |
| Semifinalist | 400 | 360 | ₹2,72,96,750 | ₹1,06,76,808.80 |
| Quarterfinalist | 200 | 180 | ₹1,55,38,150 | ₹53,41,764 |
| Round of 16 | 100 | 90 | ₹84,82,990 | ₹28,64,059 |
| Round of 32 | 50 | 0 | ₹49,55,410 | ₹15,65,573.60 |
| Round of 64 | 30 | – | ₹29,01,854.50 | – |
| Round of 128 | 10 | – | ₹19,52,767.50 | – |
Back strain forces Nagal to opt-out of Davis Cup
Citing a back strain, Nagal opted out of the recent Davis Cup tie against Sweden, which also ruled him out of the US Open men’s doubles event. AITA Secretary Anil Dhupar commented, “Players do get paid for playing the Davis Cup, and this is something the government and others will decide.”
Nagal defends compensation claim
Nagal addressed the issue through a social media statement, clarifying that compensation for representing the country is standard practice in professional sports. He emphasized that his discussions with AITA and the Davis Cup captain are confidential and should not be speculated upon.
