Sumit Nagal is currently under the spotlight, after opting out of India’s recent Davis Cup tie vs Sweden. The Indian tennis ace skipped the tie due to a back strain, and it also forced him out of the US Open last month.

India ended up losing 0-4 against Sweden at home. Such was Sweden’s dominance, that India didn’t even win a set in the tie.

Meanwhile, Nagal was also set to participate at the ATP 250 Hangzhou Open on Thursday, but withdrew due to his back issue.

The All India Tennis Association have further claimed that Nagal demanded an annual fee of 50,000 dollars to Davis Cup ties for India. But the 27-year-old defended himself, and termed his request as ‘standard practice’.

AITA’s Hon. Secretary General Anil Dhupar told PTI “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 USD 50,000 (approx 45 lakh) and said if he is not paid, he will not play.”

“Let the country decide if it is right or not. Then, it is the decision of the government and everybody. The players are also paid by TOPS. And it’s not that they don’t get paid for playing the Davis Cup. They do get paid,” he added.

In a World Group I tie, AITA gets paid around ₹30 lakh approximately, and 70 percent of it is divided among the participating players and the remaining amount is kept by the federation.

In a statement, Nagal responded and said, “Regarding compensation, I want to clarify that it is standard practice in professional sports 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.”

“It was a difficult decision to withdraw from the Davis Cup…However, after consulting with my medical team, it became clear that competing while carrying an injury could not only jeopardize my health but also adversely impact the team’s chances.

“I believe it is better for the team and for the country to have someone at 100 per cent rather than risking further injury and potentially disrupting the match. I had informed AITA well in advance about my inability to participate,” he wrote, defending his decision to pull out.

Further justifying the need for a break, Nagal said, “In professional sports, injury management is a complex science. Sometimes, just a few days of rest and targeted rehabilitation can make the difference between aggravating an injury and being fit to play again.”

“I look forward to future opportunities to wear the national colours and make my country proud, both on and off the court,” he added.

Nagal had also skipped the Davis Cup tie vs Pakistan earlier this year, citing the reason that the match was being played on grass court, and he was more suited to hard surfaces.