“I’m very moved, I don’t realise” – Sumit Nagal’s extraordinary story

He signed endless autographs and took pictures with the Indian fans who came in large numbers to support him. Sumit Nagal, ranked 137th in the world, wanted to enjoy the best victory of his career. The 26-year-old defeated Alexander Bublik in the first round of the Australian Open in three sets (6-4, 6-2, 7-6). He also made history for his country by becoming the first Indian to beat a top seed in a Grand Slam in 35 years.

Some dared to make a humorous comparison after the match, as he bears the name of one of the legends of his sport bar one letter. The story is magnificent for a man who started 2023 in 503rd place in the world and finished it in 138th. A jump of almost 400 places for a player who had reached his best ranking in 2020 (122nd) before being affected by injuries.

“I was very emotional,” Nagal explained in his post-match press conference.

“I would say that the last few months have been very strong and a lot has happened. I started the year not qualifying for the qualifying tournaments and now I’m going to play the second round of a Grand Slam tournament. I’ve worked very hard with my team and I’m very proud of myself because I’m able to handle the things I’m going through and do what I want to do.”

big pay cheque awaits after second-round qualification

The gap between Challenger/Futures tournaments and Grand Slam tournaments is abysmal when it comes to prize money. In 2023, when he was hovering around 500th in the world, Nagal confessed that he only had 900 euros in his account at certain times of the year. His qualification for the second round of the Australian Open will allow him to earn at least 110,840 euros. That’s a lot of money for this type of player.

“900 euros, not entering tournaments for the first few months, counting on wild cards in February to finish at 130 again, it’s not unbelievable, it’s not a record. From the beginning, I’m pretty proud that I was able to give myself another chance to be here, to qualify and, as I said, to play the second round on Thursday. It’s a good feeling,” said the 2015 Junior Wimbledon double winner.

This victory against Alexander Bublik is above all the result of a player who never gave up. And he intends to enjoy it as much as possible.

“It’s not forever. In tennis, you never know what’s going to happen next, you can go to a tournament and not even be able to hit two balls and the tournament is over. So things are changing very quickly. That’s what my coach tells me: You have to enjoy the moment, live in the present.”

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