India's Sumit Nagal Denied China Visa for AO Playoff

India's top-ranked men's tennis player, Sumit Nagal, announced on November 11, 2025, that Chinese authorities denied his visa application without explanation, jeopardizing his participation in the upcoming Australian Open Asia-Pacific Wildcard Playoff in Chengdu, China.

The 28-year-old Nagal, currently ranked 275th in the world, shared his frustration on social media platform X, tagging China's ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, and the Chinese embassy spokesperson. "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," he wrote. The playoff event, scheduled from November 24 to 29 at the Sichuan International Tennis Centre, offers winners direct entry into the main draw of the 2026 Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year starting January 18 in Melbourne. The tournament features 16-player men's and women's singles draws, along with doubles competitions.

Nagal, who has represented India at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics, reached a career-high ranking of 68 in 2024. He has made two prior main-draw appearances at the Australian Open, losing in the first round...