After a disappointing defeat against Sweden in the recent Davis Cup, the All India Tennis Association (AITA) has clarified the situation. Notably, India’s highest-ranked men’s singles player, Sumit Nagal, along with other top players like Yuki Bhambri and Mukund Sasikumar, did not participate. Instead, lower-ranked players like Ramkumar Ramanathan appeared in the tournament, and Siddharth Vishwakarma, ranked 594th, made his debut. India lost to Sweden 4-0, with all four matches ending in straight sets.
AITA has issued a statement, saying that these players refused to represent India. “Representing India in the Davis Cup is about more than just tennis—it’s about honour, national pride, and inspiring the next generation of athletes. Players like Sumit Nagal, Yuki Bhambri, and Mukund Sasikumar declined to play for the country, even though they were participating in other tournaments elsewhere. The AITA management, including the Davis Cup team captain, made efforts to convince them to play for India, but they simply refused,” AITA stated.
Why didn’t Sumit Nagal play?
Reports indicate that Sumit Nagal was initially scheduled to play in the Davis Cup but later announced his withdrawal due to back issues. Yuki Bhambri’s absence from the tournament remains unknown.
India’s Disappointing Outing in Sweden
The Indian tennis team suffered a 4-0 defeat against Sweden in their Davis Cup 2024 World Group I tie at Stockholm’s Royal Tennis Hall. This loss relegates India to the World Group I play-offs next year, despite their earlier 4-0 win over Pakistan.
The tie included one doubles and three singles matches, all lost by India in straight sets. N Sriram Balaji lost 6-4, 6-2 to Ymer, while Ramkumar Ramanathan fell 6-3, 6-4 to Leo Borg, son of tennis legend Bjorn Borg on Day-1. The Indian doubles pair of Ramkumar Ramanathan and N Sriram Balaji lost 6-3, 6-4 to Filip Bergevi and Andre Goransson, giving Sweden a 3-0 lead on second day. Siddharth Vishwakarma then lost 6-2, 6-2 to Ymer in the fourth match, and the fifth match was not played.
