NEW DELHI: India’s top-ranked singles player Sumit Nagal has dropped out of the ATP top-100 rankings after a prolonged stint of 10 consecutive months.
This setback comes on the heels of a string of underwhelming performances.
Simultaneously, veteran doubles specialist Rohan Bopanna has slipped out of the top-20 rankings due to an early exit from the Australian Open, where he was defending a substantial number of points.
Nagal had maintained his top-100 ranking since March 2024, initially breaking into the elite bracket in February of the same year on the back of a commendable showing at the season’s first Grand Slam event.
However, his recent struggles on the demanding Tour have been evident, with only three main draw victories across 18 tournaments since Wimbledon 2024.
A top-100 ranking is highly coveted as it guarantees direct entries into major events, including Grand Slams, where even early-round exits can yield decent prize money.
Sasikumar Mukund, Ramkumar Ramanathan, Karan Singh, and Aryan Shah are the other Indian singles players in the top-600 rankings.
In the doubles realm, the 44-year-old Bopanna, still playing at a high level, has dropped five places to No. 21.
As the defending champion at the Australian Open, he had to defend a significant number of points, but an opening-round exit with his new partner, Nicolas Barrientos, proved costly.
Yuki Bhambri, N Sriram Balaji, Rithvik Choudary Bollipalli, and Arjun Kadhe are the other Indian doubles players in the top-100 rankings.
Notably, Mukund, Ramkumar, Balaji, Karan Singh, and Bollipalli are part of the Indian Davis Cup squad set to face Togo in the World Group I Play-off tie on February 1-2, while Nagal and Bhambri have opted out of the match.