India leave 2026 Asian Games tennis without a medal after Nagal quarterfinal exit in Nagoya
India's tennis contingent will return from the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya without a medal after Sumit Nagal lost his men's singles quarterfinal on October 1, 2026, bringing the country's campaign to an end for the first time since 1986.
The doubles pairs had been eliminated a day earlier, on September 30, 2026, and India had won medals at every Asian Games since 1990; expectations ahead of this edition included at least three medals. The build-up had been dented by a recent Davis Cup defeat to South Korea in Seoul in the Qualifiers Round two, and Prajnesh Gunneswaran and Ankita Raina remain the last Indian singles medallists, each winning bronze in Jakarta in 2018.
Nagal was defeated 4-6, 4-6 by China's Yibing Wu in one hour and 38 minutes, ending India’s last realistic chance of a podium finish. The team had looked to Nagal after the doubles exits on September 30, 2026, but he was unable to convert the opportunities he created against Wu.
India's doubles hopes faltered in Nagoya; the pairs of N. Sriram Balaji-Anirudh Chandrasekar and Yuki Bhambri-Dhakshineswar Suresh both lost in the quarterfinals, and Bhambri paired with Rutuja Bhosale were beaten by Grand Slam champion Hseih and her partner. The country’s younger singles prospect Dhakshineswar exited in the third round, and India again missed singles medals after the 2023 Hangzhou Games, where Nagal lost in the quarterfinals and Ramkumar Ramanathan fell in the third round.
The article recalled Rohan Bopanna’s contribution to India’s 2018 success, when he won two gold medals — men’s doubles with Divij Sharan and mixed doubles with Rutuja Bhosale — but those achievements were not matched this year as the recent leading doubles combinations were unable to progress. Expectations that established doubles players Yuki Bhambri and N. Sriram Balaji would carry forward that legacy went unfulfilled when their partnerships were eliminated.
India coach Ashutosh Singh, speaking to PTI, said: "We obviously would have wanted stronger results, particularly given the quality and experience within the team." He added: "Sumit Nagal competed hard in his matches. First beating Hong for the first time in his career, then overcoming Fomin, he did what was required. Even today, Sumit managed to create multiple opportunities but somehow was unable to convert them." Singh also commented on other players: "DK (Dhakshineswar) has shown his playing level on the Tour but needs more work to sustain his short bursts into good performance through a physically demanding multiple-week national campaign if he sees himself as being the torchbearer of the team," and on doubles: "Yuki and Rutuja were beaten by the Grand Slam champion Hseih, who brought all her high-level experience and her partner too was playing very attacking tennis." He continued: "As a team, we take responsibility for the results. There is no point in looking for excuses. At the same time, a proper assessment has to consider the conditions, scheduling, preparation and the quality of opposition rather than looking only at the final scorelines."
AITA interim Secretary General Sunder Iyer told PTI: "Players have tried to do their best. We reached the three-quarter-finals and were close to medals. As an association we need to see how to give more support to our players, juniors and professionals, enabling them to do better." Singh signed off by acknowledging "the way the players stayed together as a group" and said: "There were difficult moments, selections and combinations that naturally bring pressure but the team maintained professionalism and supported one another throughout the campaign."
Nagal is already 29, and by the time Doha hosts the next Asian Games in 2030 he will be 33; the report concludes that India need to start looking at preparing the next generation right away, giving enough support to the next line of players.