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Sumit Nagal is set to make his debut in the Top 100 of the ATP rankings to be released on Monday, February 12. On Sunday, February 11, he won the Chennai Open 2024 after beating Italy’s Luca Nardi in the men’s singles final. Nagal, who went into the ATP Challenger tournament as the second seed won the summit clash 6-4, 6-1.
With his fifth challenger title in his career, Nagal will be ranked No. 98 globally, making him the 10th Indian to break into the Top 100 of the ATP singles rankings. The last Indian to have entered the top 100 was Prajnesh Gunneswaran in 2019.
Last month, Nagal achieved his then-career-best ranking of No.121 after he advanced to the second round of the Australian Open 2024 by beating Alexander Bublik in straight sets.
Nagal’s fans and well-wishers were joyous following his latest achievement. They lauded the Indian tennis star for weathering the storm in his career and taking rapid strides.
"Sumit nagal needs every one's support. A Sensation in making. From defeating Federer in a single set(although it was his starting phase) to winning ATP, he has came a long long way. Good training give a good mindset and that's what tennis is all about. #sumitnagal," one fan wrote.
Here are a few more fan reactions:
Sumit Nagal is living his dream
Nagal, who was ranked outside the top 500 by the end of 2022, has grown leaps and bounds in the last 13 months. From being financially broke to undergoing hip surgery, Nagal was going through the “worst time” of his life before finding his way again.
“The summer of 2022 was probably the worst time because I had just started playing tennis again after six months off (due to hip surgery). I played three tournaments and I got injured again, which put me out for another two to three months. That was one of the hardest times,” Nagal said in the post-match press conference.
“Every tennis player’s dream is to at least be in the Top 100. The last few years have been tough with being ranked 500, getting surgery done, and not having financial support,” he added.
