 "Sumit Nagal pulls out of Davis Cup tie against Sweden, replaced by Manas Dhamne")
India’s top singles player Sumit Nagal has pulled out of the upcoming Davis Cup tie against Sweden due to a back injury.
Nagal lost his first round singles contest to Tallon Griekspoor at the US Open last week.
The injury also promoted Nagal to pull out of the doubles event in New York.
The indoor hard-court Davis Cup contest in Stockholm will be played on September 14-15.
Manas Dhamne has been brought in as a replacement, announced the All India Tennis Association (AITA).
“In light of Nagal’s injury, the All India Tennis Association (AITA) has made the decision to replace him with young tennis sensation Manas Dhamne. The decision was taken after a thorough assessment of player performances by the Chairman of the Selection Committee, Mr. Nandan Bal, along with Captain Mr. Rohit Rajpal and Coach Mr. Ashutosh Singh,” said the AITA statement.
Nagal said on social media that he wished to represent India but had to “listen to his body” to avoid worsening the injury.
“I was really looking forward to representing in the upcoming Davis Cup tie against Sweden,” Nagal wrote on social media.
— Sumit Nagal (@nagalsumit) September 2, 2024
“However, due to a back issue that’s been bothering me for the past few weeks, doctors have advised me to rest for the next two weeks, leaving me without enough time to prepare and compete in Sweden. This same issue also led to my withdrawal from the US Open doubles.
“I’m deeply disappointed to be missing this tie, but I have to listen to my body to prevent the back from worsening, so that I can finish the season strong and healthy. Good luck to the Indian team - I’ll be cheering for you all from home!” he added.
Nagal reached a career-high World No. 68 in July but has dropped to 82 in the latest rankings. India’s highest-ranked singles player not being part of the Davis Cup tie comes as a big blow to the team.
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
 "Russian drones over Poland: Trump’s tepid reaction a wake-up call for Nato?")
 "As Russia pushes east, Ukraine faces mounting pressure to defend its heartland")
 "Why Mossad was not on board with Israel’s strike on Hamas in Qatar")
 "Turkey: Erdogan's police arrest opposition mayor Hasan Mutlu, dozens officials in corruption probe")
