The Indian tennis team was knocked out of the 2026 Davis Cup after suffering a 3-1 defeat to the Republic of Korea in their second-round qualifier in Seoul today. Sumit Nagal’s singles loss handed the hosts an unassailable lead and secured their place in the Final 8.
India, who began the day trailing 2-0 after losing both opening singles matches yesterday, briefly revived their hopes when N. Sriram Balaji and Dhakshineswar Suresh won the doubles match to reduce the deficit. However, world No. 157 Kwon Soon-woo defeated India’s top-ranked singles player Nagal 6-1, 6-2 to seal the tie for South Korea, who will compete in the Final 8 in Bologna, Italy, in November.
The defeat means India will have to compete in the first round of the 2027 Davis Cup Qualifiers. World No. 49 doubles pair Balaji and Suresh had kept India in contention with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 victory over South Korea’s Nam Ji-sung and Park Ui-sung.
