India's top-ranked tennis player Sumit Nagal calls for serious efforts to popularise the sport in India

For an athlete, victories are shooting stars in an otherwise tough night sky of recovery, training, learning, losses, and struggles. In 2019, India’s number one and the only world-ranked singles tennis player in the reckoning at 157, Sumit Nagal, had his most game-changing moment. It was the US Open’s first round, and he was facing the GOAT, Roger Federer. Nagal went on to win the first set, albeit thrilled, until the sublime tennis genius and winner of 20 grand slams, Federer’s quick repartee, saw him clinch the match. It has been Nagal’s greatest inspiration yet. The four-time ATP Challenger winner, Sumit, has been making strides quietly and dedicatedly. Most recently, Nagal reached the quarterfinals of the Asian Games 2023. The All-India Tennis Association No. 1 recalls the moment he could have capitalised upon. Commending Hangzhou’s wonderful sports village, infrastructure, and management, Nagal is cognizant of that turn in his match: “I had chances in the second set, which I didn’t take. The match changed from there. I was struggling with my health, and the longer it went, the worse I got. I gave my best. Yes, if I could have changed that one point at 15/40 in the first game when he was serving, I would have. (laughs) I tried to get a medal for India in singles, as it’s been a while—in 2018, Prajnesh Gunneswaran got one, then Somdev Devvarman in 2010 (Commonwealth gold). It happens in tennis that you win some, you lose some." Highest auctioned player Nagal is also the highest-awarded player in the Tennis Premier League Season 5 and has opened up about his struggles with finances and sponsorships, admitting to having only 900 euros in the bank. Auctioned at Rs 18.5 lakh to the Gujarat Panthers—for an individual sport compared to the money in other sports—is a testament to the long way tennis has to go and how far it has come. Nagal elaborates, “While tennis is big, is it that big in India? Clearly not. It is so tough to find sponsors and the right people to work with. Yes, it’s a nice feeling to be the highest bidder as an Indian. I’ve been in touch with the owners, and I’ve told Kunal (Thakkur) that what they are doing is huge. I appreciate their effort.” Gatorade and DLTA came forward after learning about his financial woes. Grateful, he knows the road ahead for an individual sport on the expensive circuit will be exacting. At 26, Sumit has already dug deep into his savings. Is it time for the stakeholders to do their part now? “Getting help from the Maha Tennis Foundation run by Prashant Sutar and being an employee at Indian Oil has been wonderful. Thankfully, Gatorade came forward, and I got aid from DLTA, which I am so grateful for. Everyone wants to work with a good team, which comes at a financial cost. One needs robust financial backing, and of course, you have to be great on court. Yes, the better I play, the better are my chances of earning, but as of now, this is how it is,” explains Sumit. Limitless energy It was his observant teacher-father who saw Sumit’s boundless energy and realised it suited tennis’s rigour. “The reason I was put into tennis was because of my limitless energy. I am lucky my father saw it. In India, study comes first, then play. He was fair; I did both, and he never pressured me; he just advised me to be smart to have option B, and we went with the flow,” he recalls. A childhood spent waking up at 5 am, fitness, school, and unwinding with anime before tennis from 6 pm to 9:30 pm; he also played cricket. “My dad took me everywhere on a motorbike in Delhi to play tennis tournaments; my parents have been steadfast. Whatever I do will not be enough, as my family has sacrificed a lot for me to change my life,” he adds. On a humorous note, he chuckles, “I missed school too; I used to be a very naughty kid. I got myself in a lot of trouble, but it was all for fun." Nagal’s style of play relies on covering the court with agility, stellar forehand winners, and baseline chess play. His backhand and serve are a work in progress. Winning a singles match against Denis Istomin in Olympics 21 (since 1996, Nagal is the only Indian to do so) is a sweet memory. The adrenaline of being a part of an event with the best athletes, he recalls, “Qualifying for the first time, and playing Roger, I’ll never forget my first slam; it’s important for all tennis players,” says Nagal, preparing for the clay season in Spain, a surface he relishes, with his fitness coach Milos Galecic (who worked with Somdev through his career) by his side. The road ahead Sumit knows his hard work, determination, and vision have to be unequivocal. “I’ve matured, now understand tennis, and control my emotions better. But getting here wasn’t easy. I have been working on my mental strength. Time is helping me become a better version of myself,” says the Haryana-born Delhi lad who has been living in Germany for the past 10 years and trains at the Nensel Tennis Academy, Piene, under head coach Sascha Nensel (a former top 160 ATP-ranked player who had coached Nicolas Kiefer #5 and Julia Georges #9) for the past five years. “My tennis base in Germany makes it easier to travel across Europe, as I like to play on clay. I have been a part of the academy for five years. I like it and enjoy travelling, though it can get tough away from friends and family. I take breaks, though often one can’t—I guess that is the con of being a tennis player,” he laughs. The need to popularise tennis requires concerted and constant effort, he says. “We are missing out on good infrastructure, a system to bring forth the best players in all categories, a centre offering well-known coaches from across the world, to get Indian players on the courts around the world,” and cautions that getting all this is the beginning, stressing the importance of “having a better system." Looking back Injuries mar careers, and Nagal has had his fair share, especially in 2021. “Losing out months, having hip surgery, and playing again took almost two years out of my tennis. It was sad. I kept asking, ‘Why me?’ I went from being 120 to almost 600, looking at 6/0 in qualifying matches in a challenger. For any athlete, it is important to surround yourself with people who trust you implicitly. My physiotherapist, Yash Pandey, was there; I did my earlier rehab with him in Bangalore, then at Nensel with Milos Galecic. I started tennis with Sascha, Somdev, and my mentor, Mahesh Bhupathi, who has always been there, no holds barred—these are the five that form my intrinsic core. Even at 3 am, if I’m struggling with an issue, I know I can get in touch, and they will always have an ear. My tennis started under Mahesh when I had no idea what tennis was. I was at the academy for two years with Mahesh and then off to Canada, which was a fantastic experience. I trained under Bobby Mahal; he is one of the owners of a tennis academy in Toronto and was family. I stayed with them. His mother would cook Indian food when I craved it. I was a part of Schüttler Waske Tennis University; I’ve been fortunate to work with good people and great academies,” says Nagal. His style of play “I like to run hard, hit a lot of forehands, and conquer the baseline. Now I am trying to improve—serve better, come to the net better, have a better backhand, even improve my forehand. Far from being happy at the level I am at, I need to persevere, improve, and get higher. For amateurs, I say, never stop learning, never stop improving,” he advises. On the tour, David Ferrer is his favourite. “What Ferrer has achieved with his game style is remarkable. Of course, Djokovic—how much he has changed the sport, changed himself—is phenomenal.” Playing and seeing the world is providence Travelling across beautiful towns in Europe and playing tennis is a pleasure, and often he takes time to be in nature. “The nicest experience I had was in Salzburg; it’s so picturesque, and in Norway when I saw the Northern Lights,” admitting that he was not a sightseer, but with coaxing from his fitness coach, he now explores hidden gems. “I am grateful; I am learning and evolving. Being smart about how to deal with things on court and off it,” he smiles. An avid video game player, “I am a good League of Legends player,” giggles the lad, who considers himself a loyal and honest friend who’ll go to lengths for those he cares about. Learning from the best On Rohan Bopanna’s recent retirement from the Davis Cup, Nagal is kicking himself as he was unable to see Rohan’s last points as he was getting ready for his match. “It’s sad to see Rohan leave; he was one of the strong points in our Davis Cup matches. I have so much respect for him,” he adds. Laughing at Rohan’s legendary stubbornness as a friend, Nagal feels, “He is the one guy always there to help—to share his thoughts—and among the nicest and most fair tennis players on tour." Parents who gave their all The one regret for Sumit is not having his parents witness him on the tour. “They don’t get to see me in real life. I am trying to change that. My parents coming to watch my Davis Cup match in Lucknow was probably the first time they came outside Delhi. There were tears in my mom and dad’s eyes; it was very emotional. They stayed at the same hotel as me, and I’ve always had a dream—to travel with my parents, show them the world, and meet my matches. If you had told us 25 years ago that I’d be travelling the world, experiencing so much, having an apartment, a car, we would have jumped right in to take the dream. I am trying to make life simpler for them as they have worked hard to put me where I am today, never complaining,” says the son, who has miles to go in tennis years and life. Failures are par, of course, and he is now working with Sascha to sync the philosophy of “being unafraid of losing”. The end of 2023 will see Sumit playing in Malaga, Italy, aspiring to qualify in Basel. “In 2024, at the Australian Open, I might head to South America on clay to push myself as much as possible and see how high I can finish,” he says. The writer is a senior journalist. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost_’s views._ Read all the  Latest News **,**  Trending News **,**  Cricket News **,**  Bollywood News **,**  India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook**,**  Twitter and  Instagram**.**