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- Published: January 16, 2024 15:41
New Delhi: India’s top tennis prospect at the moment, Sumit Nagal, who was struggling with a lack of funds to survive in the beautiful yet brutal sport of tennis, created history on Tuesday by becoming the first Indian since 1989 to register a win against the seeded player in the Grand Slam tournament main draw.
Before Sumit, Ramesh Krishnan in 1989 achieved this feat when he defeated the then-defending champion and World no 1, Mats Wilder, in the second round of the Australian Open.
However, Sumit Nagal, who made his way into the main draw after going through the qualifiers, achieved this iconic feat after defeating the Kazakh star Alexander Bublik in the first round of the 2024 Australian Open.
#WATCH | India’s Sumit Nagal beats No. 31 seed Alexander Bublik 6-4 6-2 7-6(5) at the Australian Open.
(Video: Australian Open) pic.twitter.com/Ffe5rIAOhZ
— ANI (@ANI) January 16, 2024
To make sure no one calls it a fluke, Sumit registered the win, in the straight sets of 6-4,6-2 and 7-6, to make his way into round two.
Sumit Nagal will now face Chinese Shang Juncheng in the second round on Thursday, January 18.
Who is Sumit Nagal?
On August 16, 1997, in Jhajjar, Haryana, Sumit Nagal was born to Suresh Nagal, a school teacher, and his wife Krishna Devi, a stay-at-home mom.
At the age of eight, Nagal began playing tennis at a nearby sports club. As a member of the initial group of Mahesh Bhupathi’s Apollo Tyres Mission 2018 initiative, he was chosen at the age of eleven to attend his training academy.
𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 at #AustralianOpen 2024 🇮🇳 🙌@NagalSumit has officially announced his arrival by beating a seeded opponent #AlexanderBublik in straight sets of Round 1️⃣ at #AO2024 😎🔥#SonySportsNetwork #AusOpen #SlamOfTheGreats #SumitNagal pic.twitter.com/0r0xlxuzPu
— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) January 16, 2024
Due to being associated with the Nagal was based in Bangalore from 2008 to 2010. Nagal moved to Toronto to train with Coach Bobby Mahal after the program ended.
What are Sumit Nagal’s achievements?
Sumit Nagal, who at the moment is the top-ranked Indian in tennis, has a record of 9 wins to 19 losses in the senior ATP World Tour and has tasted success at different levels during his career.
The 26-year-old came to fame when he won the junior Wimbledon 2015, with his Vietnamese partner Lý Hoàng Nam, to become only the sixth Indian player to secure a junior Grand Slam title.
Sumit Nagal walks off court to screams & cheers.
1st Indian man to beat a seed in a slam in 35 years
He previously said he lacked support from India & was investing all his earnings into trying to live his dream
Today, his dreams are coming true 🥹🇮🇳
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 16, 2024
Sumit Nagal also became the second Indian after Ramesh Krishnan to win against a seeded player in the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament.