India’s Sumit Nagal suffered an early exit from the US Open qualifying tournament after losing 3-6, 6-7(4) to top seed Arthur Gea in the opening round here on Thursday.
The defeat extended Nagal’s wait for another Grand Slam main-draw appearance, with the Indian unable to qualify for seven consecutive majors.
Gea Ends Nagal’s Challenge
Nagal struggled to find a way past the Frenchman, who maintained his composure in the key moments to secure a straight-set victory.
Gea took the opening set 6-3 before edging a tighter second set in the tiebreak 7-4 to book his place in the second round of qualifying.
For Nagal, the result brought another disappointing Grand Slam campaign to an early conclusion.
Main-Draw Wait Stretches On
The 28-year-old last featured in a Grand Slam main draw at the 2025 Australian Open, where he was beaten in the opening round.
Since then, Nagal has been unable to make it through qualifying at the majors, extending a difficult stretch on the Grand Slam stage.
His best result this season came on the Challenger circuit when he won the clay-court Challenger in Targu Mures, Romania.
Focus Shifts To Davis Cup
Nagal will now shift his attention to India’s crucial Davis Cup Qualifiers Round 2 tie against South Korea.
The September 18-19 clash in Seoul carries major significance, with the winner securing a place in the elite eight-team Davis Cup Finals.
Nagal, ranked India’s leading singles player, will hope to put the US Open disappointment behind him as India target another historic run in the competition.
Discussion about this post