India’s Sumit Nagal failed to secure a place in the main draw of the French Open after losing in the second round of the qualifying phase in Paris on Wednesday, 21 May. Top -order Indian men’s single player was the only hope of the country in the singles competition, and their exit means that India would not have any representation in the single main draw this year.
Nagal 2-6, 4-6 went down to Juriz Rodionov in Austria, which was a lower ranked rival, proven to be a large-scale unilateral competition. The Indian struggled with continuity in both their service and return game throughout the match.
After leaving the first set and falling back 2–4 in the second, Nagal showed some flexibility by breaking back into the seventh game. He then served to set on 4-4, despite being trailing 0–30 in the next game. However, while serving to stay in the match, Nagal lost his service in the 10th game, ending his qualifying campaign.
The disadvantage marked a stunning dip for world number 170, who started the tournament with a 6–1, 6–1 victory over World No. 141 Michelle Krugger in the early stages. Nagal expressed confidence on social media after that victory, thanking fans for his support in Paris.
It was a disappointing finish for Nagal, which failed to reach the main draw of a Grand Slam for the first time in a year. In 2023, he qualified for the main draw of all four Grand Slam and earned direct entry into the 2025 Australian Open.
After exiting his first round in Melbourne, Nagal focused in the soil season in early February. However, he has struggled to find the form, suffering early exit in ATP 250 and Challenger level tournaments, and was unable to speed up the French Open qualifiers.
