India’s top-ranked male tennis player, Sumit Nagal, has finally received a Chinese visa after being denied one, merely weeks before he was set to travel for an Australian Open Qualifying tournament in southwestern Sichuan. Hagal took to social media on Tuesday, posting on X, requesting support from Xu Feihong, the Chinese ambassador to India, as well as the Chinese embassy.
“I am Sunit Nahal, India’s No. 1 tennis player,” he posted, tagging the two accounts. “I am supposed to fly to China soon to represent India at the Australian Open Playoffs. But my visa was rejected without a reason. Your urgent help would be much appreciated.”
The Chinese Foreign Ministry responded to this issue on Thursday, with spokesperson Lin Jian clarifying that China issues visas to all international athletes following its legal procedures and regulations. He assured Nagal that he should be able to obtain the visa and requested him to submit a new application to the Chinese embassy located in India, along with all other necessary documentation.
The tennis player posted a second time, later on Thursday, offering his thanks to India’s Ministry of External Affairs and the Chinese ambassador for “their prompt help in helping me secure the visa in time”. Nagal offered no further explanation as to why his original application for obtaining the visa had been rejected.
India and China, which experienced notable geopolitical tension, have just resumed direct flights, although strains have gradually eased since 2020.
Sumit Nagal, who is ranked as the best singles player in India, is currently 275th in the ATP rankings and achieved his career high in 2024 as 68th.
He is also known for his victory in the opening set against Roger Federer in the 2019 U.S. Open , despite the latter having won the following three sets, to advance to the next round. Since 2018, he has been a member of India’s Davis Cup teams, playing a major role in their victory over Switzerland. He has also represented India at the Olympics in Tokyo and Paris.
The Australian Open Asia-Pacific Wildcard Play-off, which is set to take place on the 24th of November, is his best opportunity to regain entry into the 2026 Opening Grand Slam in Melbourne. The 28-year-old had been eliminated from the tournament in the first round earlier this year and was also unable to qualify for the French Open and Wimbledon.
During the 2024 Australian Open, Nagal moved up to the second round of the tournament after winning three qualifying matches. He was eventually defeated by Chinese player Shang Jucheng, but not before he gained an impressive win during the first round over Alexander Bublick.
Nagal was also thrown off during the first hurdle, going off against Tomas Machac last year. Missing out on the tournament this year would prove transformative to the Indian, who has now dropped out of the world’s top 100.
The wild-card play-off has been set to take place from the 24th to the 29th of November at the Sichuan International Tennis Centre, with the 2026 Australian Open scheduled to commence in Melbourne on January 18, swinging off the very first Grand Slam event of the year.
