In November 2023, a brief 23-second clip of Sumit Nagal’s profitable match-point in opposition to Italian Stefano Travaglia within the semifinals of the Helsinki ATP Challenger was having an unusually lengthy shelf life on X (previously Twitter). As an alternative of being sucked into the social media vortex, it was extensively shared, for Nagal was on the cusp of breaking into the coveted ATP top-100.
Beneath the put up, although, was an innocuous remark that learn: “Best Indian male singles participant of all time? Who’s near him previously?” To the common Indian sports activities fan, the query would have been borderline blasphemous, for the nation has produced stalwarts reminiscent of Ramanathan Krishnan, Vijay Amritraj and Ramesh Krishnan, to call a number of.
A deeper malaise
Seen in a different way, the ignorance may have additionally been indicative of a deeper malaise that has troubled Indian males’s singles tennis. If one has to time-travel greater than three a long time to seek out the final nice, how do you anticipate spectators to be engaged and educated?
Over the past 4 months nonetheless, Nagal has taken small, however encouraging, steps in the direction of erasing this story of maximum apathy, being extra than simply an object of curiosity and offering that emotional hook for a lot of an Indian tennis fan.
The 26-year-old has damaged into the top-100 for the primary time, crushed two top-40 gamers, together with the then World No. 27 Alexander Bublik within the first spherical of the Australian Open, and has certified for 2 ATP Masters in Indian Wells (fortunate loser) and Monte Carlo.
The win over Bublik was the primary by an Indian over a seeded participant at a Slam since Ramesh Krishnan beat World No. 1 Mats Wilander on the 1989 Australian Open. Nagal even gained a spherical in Monte Carlo, overcoming World No. 38 Matteo Arnaldi in three units — which is about to hold him into the top-80, a brand new career-high — earlier than dropping a tricky three-setter to World No. 7 Holger Rune.
To be truthful, Nagal’s exploits should not a patch on what is taken into account top-draw in international tennis parlance. What has excited Indian followers nonetheless is his rise from the sporting abyss during the last yr and a half — he started 2023 ranked 502 on the planet — and his new-found consistency.
“The previous couple of years I’ve misplaced a lot time, that is one of the best I may ask for,” Nagal stated in Monte Carlo. “I’ve been taking part in quite a lot of matches and I’m very joyful that I’ve performed the tournaments I wish to play in.”
Nagal first shot into the limelight manner again in 2015 when he gained the Wimbledon junior doubles title. In 2017, he secured his first Challenger title, on the Bengaluru Open, and in 2019 got here his second, in Buenos Aires. And when he certified for the 2019 US Open and took a set off Roger Federer on his Main debut below the glitzy New York night time sky, he appeared set to achieve for the celebrities.
However a number of bouts of Covid and a hip damage that required surgical procedure in November 2021 set him again, and in 2022 he misplaced extra matches than he gained (18 to 17).
Rising from darkness
“I used to be in a really darkish place the place I used to be not having fun with tennis,” Nagal instructed ATPTour.com final Could. “I used to be at all times asking myself, ‘Why me? I didn’t play for seven or eight months, then I performed once more for 4 weeks and I’m out once more for six weeks. What else do I have to do?’ I couldn’t discover solutions.”
Issues ultimately fell into place in 2023, when he put collectively a full season, reached 4 Challenger finals and gained two (Rome and Tampere). He even overcame a monetary crunch, and this February, he triumphed on the Chennai Challenger, defeating the extremely rated Italian Luca Nardi — who went on to beat Novak Djokovic at Indian Wells — to enter the top-100.
“The most important factor is that he has labored rather a lot on his health,” says India’s Davis Cup coach Zeeshan Ali, in a dialog with The Hindu. “He at all times had the tennis, the massive photographs; and over a time frame, he has labored on his serves and turn into much more aggressive from the baseline.
“[But] all the hitting comes from being bodily stronger. And the outcomes are displaying. He’s older now, much more mature and is aware of his sport rather a lot higher. So all issues mixed, he’s having one of the best season of his life.”
Discovering a manner: At 5’10”, Nagal is brief by tennis requirements. However what he lacks in top, he makes up for along with his fluid motion and groundstrokes. | Picture credit score: Getty Photographs
At 5’10”, Nagal is brief by tennis requirements. What he lacks in top, and by extension a booming serve, he makes up for along with his fluid motion and groundstrokes. That’s maybe why he loves clay, is adept on exhausting and doesn’t choose grass.
Somdev Devvarman, who peaked at No. 62 in singles greater than a decade in the past and was of the same construct, tells The Hindu that Nagal doesn’t must reinvent his sport to excel.
“There have at all times been quantity of quick gamers who’ve made it,” reckons Devvarman, who has taken up a mentorship position with Nagal. “I’m not even speaking concerning the high high gamers, however a Dudi Sela, Radu Albot, Diego Schwartzman, Sebastian Baez, and so forth.
“Nagal simply has to learn to maintain serve in less complicated trend. It additionally involves the type of factors that you just’re setting up. And secondly, all these guys do extremely nicely on return. So that they hold themselves alive by ensuring they’ve a number of alternatives to interrupt each set. And that may hold any participant imbalanced.”
Realising his potential: Nagal has had his damage struggles, however the final season-and-a-half has proven what he’s able to when his thoughts and physique are in sync. | Picture credit score: Getty Photographs
Cautionary tales
Indian tennis, although, is replete with cautionary tales. The final two males to interrupt into the top-100, Yuki Bhambri and Prajnesh Gunneswaran, didn’t keep there for lengthy, hampered as they had been by continual accidents. Nagal has additionally been injury-prone, however the final season-and-a-half has proven what he’s able to when his thoughts and physique are in sync.
“For somebody like Sumit, the very first thing that any teaching employees will deal with is to maintain the man injury-free,” opines Devvarman. “When that occurs, you will notice issues standing out — he’s serving to a spot, staying aggressive and being very energetic across the court docket. On return video games, he’ll put quite a lot of balls again. So he simply begins utilizing his sport rather well to guarantee that the forehand, his largest weapon, has the power to shine.”
World tennis can also be an unforgiving place. The rolling 52-week rating system requires gamers to match earlier yr’s outcomes simply to keep up their standing. Then comes the advance in performances, which makes the game relentless and grinding.
“Firstly, I’ll give him quite a lot of credit score for hanging in there as a result of he’s been taking part in on the circuit for 8-10 years and it’s solely now that he’s beginning to see success,” says Zeeshan. “Now it’s a query of constructing from the place he’s. It’s [going to be] a special stage of tennis, taking part in the Masters occasions the place each match might be in opposition to a top-100 man.
“He must have one or two actually good tournaments the place he wins a few rounds. If he’s dropping within the first spherical, it gained’t assist him leap very excessive. To crack the top-50, you might want to do extra than simply play these tournaments. That’s what Sumit goes to be aiming for.”