BRISBANE, Australia — The top Indian men’s tennis player is suing Chinese authorities after he says he has been denied a visa to play in the Australian Open wild-card playoff tournament that begins Nov. 24 in Chengdu.
Sumit Nagar took to social media to appeal to China’s ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, and the Chinese embassy to intervene on his behalf.
“I will soon be flying to China to represent India in the Australian Open playoffs,” Nagal posted on Tuesday. “However, my visa was refused for no reason. I would appreciate your immediate help.”
Australian Open officials were asked for comment on Wednesday. The 2026 Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament of the year, begins in Melbourne on January 18th.
Relations between Asia’s two powerhouses and the world’s two largest populations have recently improved. India and China last month planned to resume direct flights between some cities after a five-year suspension as relations begin to mend.
The Press Trust of India reported that there was no immediate response from the embassy or playoff organizers.
One of the highlights of the 28-year-old Nagal’s career was winning the first set at the US Open against Roger Federer in 2019. However, Federer won the next three sets and advanced to the second round.
Nagal had a career-high singles ranking of 68th in July 2024, but his current ranking is 290th. He is a member of the Indian Davis Cup team since 2018.
She lost in the first round at the Australian Open in January, failing to qualify for the French Open and Wimbledon. He won the men’s doubles title at Wimbledon in 2015 with Vietnam’s Lee Hoang Nam, becoming the sixth Indian player to win a Junior Grand Slam title.
The Australian Open Asia-Pacific Wild Card Playoffs are scheduled for November 24-29 at the Sichuan International Tennis Center. Men’s and women’s singles will be played by 16 teams, and men’s and women’s doubles will be played by 12 teams.
Last year’s Asia-Pacific playoffs, also held in Chengdu, saw China’s Zhang Shuai and Thailand’s Kasidit Samrej secure spots in the main draw of the 2025 Australian Open.
Zhang defeated American McCartney Kessler in the first round in Melbourne, but lost to 24th seed Yulia Putintseva in the second round. Samrej, who had never played at a Grand Slam venue or qualified, was eliminated in the first round after defeating fifth-seeded Daniil Medvedev in five sets.
