NEW DELHI: India’s No.1 tennis player Sumit Nagal has issued a public plea to Chinese authorities after his visa application to compete in the Australian Open Asia-Pacific Wildcard Play-off in Chengdu was reportedly rejected without explanation, leaving his Grand Slam preparation in serious doubt.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Taking to social media platform X, the 28-year-old tagged the Chinese Ambassador to India and the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi, seeking urgent intervention.“[URGENT] Respected @China_Amb_India and @ChinaSpox_India. I am Sumit Nagal, India’s No.1 Tennis player. I am supposed to fly to China soon to represent India at the Australian Open Playoff. But my visa was rejected without reason. Your urgent help would be much appreciated,” Nagal wrote.
The Chengdu event, scheduled from November 24 to 29, offers players from the Asia-Pacific region a direct main-draw wildcard into the 2026 Australian Open. Organised by Tennis Australia in association with the Chinese Tennis Association, the tournament is a crucial stepping stone for regional players aiming for Grand Slam qualification.Nagal, currently ranked World No. 275, enjoyed a career-best run last year, breaking into the top 100 and stunning 25th seed Alexander Bublik in the first round of the 2024 Australian Open. He also became the first Indian man to win a Masters 1000 match on clay at the Monte Carlo Masters, solidifying his status as India’s leading singles player.With his visa now rejected, Nagal’s participation — and a possible route to the 2026 Australian Open — remains uncertain. Neither the Chinese Embassy, the All India Tennis Association (AITA), nor Tennis Australia has issued a statement on the matter yet.
