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NEW DELHI: India’s leading men’s tennis player Sumit Nagal has revealed that China denied him a visa just weeks before he was scheduled to compete in the Australian Open Asia-Pacific Wildcard Playoff in Sichuan, leaving his participation in jeopardy.
Nagal, ranked 275 in the world, took to the social media platform X on Monday to express his frustration over the development.
“I am supposed to fly to China soon to represent India at the Australian Open Playoff. But my visa was rejected without reason,” the 28-year-old wrote.
The week-long qualifying tournament, which begins on November 24, offers players from the Asia-Pacific region a chance to secure direct entry into the main draw of the 2026 Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year.
Nagal, who reached a career-high ranking of 68 in 2024, has represented India at both the Tokyo and Paris Olympics.
He previously featured in the main draw at Melbourne Park twice, losing in the first round earlier this year and in the second round the year before.
The tournament organisers have stated that players “should contact the Chinese consulate for information regarding visa requirements” and may request an official letter of invitation if needed.
However, they have yet to respond to inquiries from AFP regarding Nagal’s situation.
AFP also reached out to Nagal’s agent and China’s foreign ministry for comment, but received no immediate response.
The incident comes at a time when India and China are still working to rebuild ties strained by years of geopolitical tension.
The two nations, which share a long and disputed Himalayan border, only recently resumed direct flights after a five-year suspension following the pandemic and the deadly 2020 border clash in Ladakh.
