'I Am Supposed To Fly To Represent India': Sumit Nagal's Australian Open Dream Faces Crisis After Chinese Visa Rejection

Sumit Nagal had a rough 2025, but he already has his eyes set for the next season. The Indian tennis player who is busy preparing for the next season sustained a massive setback when his application for a Chinese visa was rejected, without any reason being given.

Nagal had received a direct entry to play the 2026 Australian Open Asia-Pacific Wildcard Playoff. The winner of this tournament gets a direct entry into the main draw of next season’s first Grand Slam which is the Australian Open.

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Sumit Nagal Makes Heartfelt Plea

The 28-year-old Nagal has requested Chinese authorities to look into his visa rejection prior to the Australian Open Asia-Pacific Wildcard Play-off in Chengdu. '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', wrote Nagal on X (formerly known as Twitter) account.

Nagal's plea remains unresolved as of now and his participation in a Grand Slam tournament remains doubtful. As the Indian tennis star waits for the issue to be resolved, All India Tennis Association and Tennis Australia are yet to comment on this issue.

The tournament that Nagal has been invited to play will be held from November 24 to 29. It has a qualifying event for the players who belong to the Asia-Pacific region. The tournament is being organized by Tennis Australia in partnership with the Chinese Tennis Association.

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All Eyes On Sumit Nagal

The Indian tennis player is currently ranked 275th in the world. Nagal grabbed all the headlines after pulling off a major upset over 25th seed Alexander Bublik in the 2024 Australian Open first round. Sumit Nagal also became the first Indian man to win a Masters 1000 match on clay. Nagal is expected to perform well in the Australian Open Asia-Pacific Wildcard Play-off and earn himself a place in the Australian Open, but it will all depend on the acceptance of his visa.