The All India Tennis Association (AITA) has accused Sumit Nagal of demanding an annual fee of $50,000 to play Davis Cup ties for India. However, Nagal has defended his actions, stating that it is “standard practice” for athletes to be compensated 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 last month. It was India’s best chance to beat Sweden in their own backyard, but competing without a singles specialist, the team received a 0-4 hammering.
AITA expressed its displeasure, saying that the country’s top players, including Nagal, Yuki Bhambri, and Sasikumar Mukund, refused national duty. Nagal had entered the ATP 250 Hangzhou Open and was scheduled to play on Thursday but withdrew citing the same back issue.
AITA head Anil Dhupar said, “You tell me why should a player be asking for money to play for the country. This is a big question. He had demanded an annual fee of $50,000 (approx 45 lakh) and said if he is not paid, he will not play.”
Dhupar insisted that players are paid by TOPS and receive prize money from the International Tennis Federation (ITF) for Davis Cup participation. However, Nagal claimed that it is standard practice 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 a statement.
AITA was furious that Nagal chose to skip Davis Cup last week by citing injury but “recovered miraculously” to compete in Hangzhou Open. Nagal withdrew from the ATP 250 tournament, two days after AITA came out with its statement.
Nagal said representing the country was always “a privilege and an honour that I hold in the highest regard.” He defended his decision to pull out of the Davis Cup, saying that competing while carrying an injury could jeopardize his health and the team’s chances.
It has been learnt that captain Rohit Rajpal had taken Nagal’s proposal to the AITA Executive Committee, which initially agreed to pay him but asked the captain to renegotiate the figure. However, before an agreement could be reached, Nagal withdrew from the tie and the discussion on the matter ended without progress.
Nagal criticized AITA on social media platforms, saying many of them were there just to enjoy junkets. He further justified his break, saying that injury management is a complex science and sometimes just a few days of rest can make the difference between aggravating an injury and being fit to play again.
Nagal said he was committed to the country and looked forward to future opportunities to wear the national colors. He had skipped the tie against Pakistan too earlier this year, conveying to the team management that the contest was being played on grass court and his game was more suited to the hard surfaces.
