Indian tennis star Sumit Nagal has etched his name in history, becoming the first Indian man in five years to qualify for the prestigious Wimbledon main draw. Prajnesh Gunneswaran held the previous record in 2019, though he fell short in the opening round. Nagal isn't new to Wimbledon, having competed in the qualifiers back in 2018. Nagal's previous attempt at Wimbledon came in 2018, where he participated in the qualifiers but fell to Kamil Majchrzak of Poland in straight sets. However, this year marks his main draw debut. Before Wimbledon kicks off, Nagal is sharpening his skills for another Grand Slam tournament – the French Open, which begins on May 26. He'll be aiming to bounce back from a first-round exit at the recent Geneva Open and make a strong start at Roland Garros.
Adding to the excitement, Nagal recently enjoyed a practice session with none other than the current World No. 1 and defending French Open champion, Novak Djokovic. This experience will undoubtedly provide a valuable boost to Nagal's confidence as he prepares for the upcoming clay court battles.
Nagal shares special moment with Novak Djokovic
Nagal took to X (previously known as Twitter) to share a snap with Djokovic as he captioned the post:
“Solid practice before Roland Garros Thank you”.
Nagal's stellar show in 2024
Sumit Nagal has taken the tennis world by storm in 2024. He began the year ranked outside the coveted top 500, but through sheer determination and impressive performances, he's climbed a staggering 366 spots to his current position at No.94. This meteoric rise started with a bang – a victory at the Chennai Open, propelling him into the top 100 rankings for the very first time. In April, he etched another milestone, becoming the first Indian in over four decades to qualify for the main draw of a prestigious ATP Masters 1000 tournament - the Monte Carlo Masters.
Nagal's hunger for success didn't stop there. He secured a first-round victory against Matteo Arnaldi at the Monte Carlo Masters and nearly upset Holger Rune before ultimately falling short in three sets. These stellar performances culminated in achieving his career-best ranking of No.80 and earning a well-deserved spot in the French Open main draw. Nagal's journey this year is an inspiring testament to hard work and talent paying off. His French Open appearance marks a significant achievement, and all eyes will be on him to see if he can continue his impressive run on the biggest stage.
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