Sumit Nagal (AP photo)
NEW DELHI: India's No. 1 tennis player Sumit Nagal has apologised to the crowd in Maia, Portugal, and local player Henrique Rocha for making a “talking gesture” after his first-round victory at the Maia ATP Challenger, saying it was a heat-of-the-moment reaction.Nagal, who prevailed 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(5) in a gruelling two-hour-and-56-minute contest, addressed the incident in a post on Instagram. Rocha had served for the match twice before the Indian fought back to secure the win.“To the crowd in Maia, I want to apologise for the talking gesture I made after the match. It was a heat-of-the-moment reaction, and it wasn’t the right way to respond,” Nagal wrote.
“I respect everyone who came out to watch, and I appreciate you being there.
I’ve also spoken to Henrique and apologised to him personally.”
The apology came after a fiercely contested encounter in which Rocha, who had won a title in Porto just eight days earlier, was looking to build on his recent form and collect valuable ranking points in his bid to break into the top 100.Nagal's response acknowledged the importance of respecting both the opponent and the home crowd, even in the emotional aftermath of a closely fought match.
Disappointing for Indians
The incident comes amid a challenging period for Indian tennis. At the recently concluded Asian Games in Japan, Nagal was the country's last player in contention for a medal.India's campaign ended without a medal after he lost 4-6, 4-6 to China's Yibing Wu in the men's singles quarterfinals.
The result marked India's first medal-less tennis campaign at the Asian Games since 1986, ending a run of podium finishes at every edition from 1990 onwards.India's doubles combinations had also fallen short, with the country's medal hopes disappearing after a series of quarterfinal exits.India had entered the continental competition targeting multiple medals, but the disappointing outcome raised questions about the depth of its current player pool and preparations for future international events.