11 months ago
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SUMIT NAGAL was on the brink of bankruptcy four months ago with just £775 in his account.
But now he has earned one of the biggest wins of his career to guarantee himself a bumper £94,100 in Australian Open prize money, more than he earned in the whole of 2023.
AP
ReutersThe Indian star, 26, came through qualifying and stunned No31 seed Kazakhstani maverick Alexander Bublik 6-4 6-2 7-6 in round one in Melbourne, with the No31 seed smashing a racket on his way to an early exit.
Nagal becomes the first Indian tennis player, male or female, to win a singles match against a seeded player at a Grand Slam since 1989 and secured just his second main-draw major win after reaching round two at the 2020 US Open.
And the victory represents a remarkable achievement for the man who was ranked outside the world’s top 500 12 months ago.
Nagal revealed in an interview in September 2023: “If I look at my bank balance, I have what I had at the beginning of the year. It is 900 euros [£775].”
The shocking revelation sparked an outpouring of support – including a sponsorship deal with Gatorade and the Delhi Lawn Tennis Association providing a one-off grant of approximately £5,000.
Nagal – who has earned £580,000 and won four ATP Challenger titles since turning pro in 2015 – told the Times of India: “Every help you get from the companies, it helps a tennis player from India. We do lack financial support.
“If you have to play the majority of the time, you have to pay for your coaches, your expenses, and it comes out a lot in tennis because you’re playing so many tournaments, in and out so many flights, so many different hotels. So every time you get help from someone, I really appreciate it.
“What I really like to do is to travel with a tennis coach and a physio because I am one of those guys who want to stay fit for the whole year.”
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Former Wimbledon boys’ doubles champ Nagal also revealed to the India Times that when his ranking dropped due to injury, he “did not know what to do, I have given up”.
But just months later after hitting rock bottom and scraping the barrel for finances, he secured his seventh win against a top-100 player and his second-best career win.
Nagal put on an impressive display on Court 6, prevailing in straight sets in just over two-and-a-half hours against Bublik.
The likeable Indian star was cheered on all the way by the crowd and let out an almighty roar of delight when the magnitude of his victory started to sink in.
His current world No137 ranking looks set to be bolstered by his first major win at the Australian Open.
That's a big win for @nagalsumit 
He takes out No. 31 seed Bublik 6-4 6-2 7-6(5).#AusOpen • #AO2024 pic.twitter.com/ldM9VE4X0M
And the qualifier will fancy his chances of making round three in a Grand Slam for the first time ever when he takes on China’s 18-year-old wildcard Juncheng Shang next – with Carlos Alcaraz the likely opponent.
But before that, tennis fans were quick to heap plenty of praise on Nagal, who has endured the wrath of the All India Tennis Association in a long-term feud over an incident at the Davis Cup in 2017.
One said: “This is historic. Congrats Sumit. Proud of you.”
Another wrote: “Honesty is the first big paycheck and I appreciate he was so real to tell his story without adornments. He will do great things and we are going to be here to celebrate him.”
A third added: “An inspiration to all, who are making their career in sports.”
A fourth replied: “This win just single-handedly saved his career.”
A fifth commented: “Raw passion… he had to win at all costs. Awesome.”
And a final user typed: “It’s impossible to not be a Summit fan! The world of tennis has to be rooting for him! I hope he is able to keep winning!”
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