Somdev said that his patriotism should not be questioned on the basis of this decision since he has given his all while doing the national duty in Davis Cup.
"It didn't make sense for my professional career to play," Somdev told PTI from Shangahi, where he is playing in an ATP Challenger tournament.
"I have had a tough year dealing with a few injuries unfortunately. My ranking has dropped but I am starting to feel good finally. Breaking into the top 100 is hard enough and by playing a three-week tournament mid season definitely doesn't make sense if my goal is to break back into the top 100," the country's top singles player said.
Asked if not representing the country would hurt his reputation, Somdev said he was "not worried about that at all".
"Everyone who knows me well or has followed my tennis, knows how much I fight every time I have played for the country. For everyone who plays or have been around in professional tennis, I know they understand my decision. Tennis is a very demanding sport. You play and travel full time and try and make a living under very tough circumstances.