Mumbai: India’s top players refusing to turn up for Davis Cup should face repercussions of some sort, says Anand Amritraj, a former India top 100 pro and longtime Davis Cup captain.
The absence of India singles No.1 Sumit Nagal and doubles No.2 Yuki Bhambri may not have been felt in the tie against lowly Togo at Delhi over the weekend (India won 4-0), but some of India’s top players have stayed away from national duty in the last few ties.
The independence of the ATP tour makes it hard for a national federation to crack the whip. But with entries for events like the Olympics and Asian Games finalised by the All India Tennis Association (AITA) and some top tennis players being beneficiaries of the government’s Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), that is where the federation could act, felt Amritraj.
“That’s where you should put the screws on them. I think you can definitely do that,” Amritraj said on the sidelines of the WTA Mumbai Open. “If you’re in any kind of place with some leverage, you should say: “Either you play Davis Cup, or you won’t get this”. Simple.”
AITA has tried to “put the screws” on some players in the past. It refused to send Nagal’s nomination for a wildcard entry to the 2024 Australian Open after he opted out of the Davis Cup tie against Pakistan. Nagal came through qualification and reached the second round. Mukund Sasikumar, who returned to the team against Togo but has stayed away in the past, has also been reprimanded by AITA.
Anand Amritraj, a Davis Cup doubles stalwart with brother Vijay, incidentally, was captain when Nagal entered the Davis Cup fold.
“I like Sumit, but why he would not play… it is really a shame because he is our best player right now. If we play our best team in both singles and doubles, we have a good chance of winning that September match and getting in the World Group,” said Amritraj, who was back in the captain’s corner for the City of Dreams Cup exhibition doubles match at Cricket Club of India on Monday.
As player and captain, Amritraj oversaw some famous Davis Cup wins by India, and also star players in the setup. It was not the captain’s job, he felt, to convince players to turn up for national duty. Rohit Rajpal is the current captain.
“The desire has to come from within. The player has to decide before I get into the captain’s chair that he wants to play,” he said.
“To me, it is just inconceivable that if you are ranked high enough and the country wants you to play, you would not play without any financial conversation. Unless you’re injured and can’t walk on the court. Other than that, there should be no question whether you’re going to play Davis Cup. You’ve got 50 weeks in the year to make your money; two weeks you should be able to give to the country you grew up in.”
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