"He would have played Alcaraz next""Chin up, You’ve made all of us proud": Fans react to Sumit Nagal's loss at the Australian Open

After a brilliant run in the qualifying rounds of the Australian Open, Sumit Nagal’s journey came to an end in the second round after a hard-fought loss to China’s Juncheng Shang in the season-opener Grand Slam.

The tennis star, hailing from Jhajjar, India, took the opening set 6-2, establishing his dominance early in the match. However, the 18-year-old Chinese fought back and took the next three sets to seal the match with a final score of 2-6, 6-2, 7-5, 6-4 in two hours and fifty minutes.

The thrilling four-set encounter had fans on social media applauding the Indian tennis star, and fans and fellow players took to X (formerly Twitter) to provide motivation and words of encouragement to Sumit Nagal after his loss against the former Junior World No. 1 Juncheng Shang in the second round of the Australian Open 2024.

One fan applauded the 26-year-old’s performance while expressing his disappointment in missing out on what could have been an exciting opportunity to play Carlos Alcaraz.

“Heartbreak for Sumit Nagal. He would have played Alcaraz next. Nonetheless, what a performance from him at #AustralianOpen2024,” they wrote.

Another fan provided Nagal with some words of encouragement after the tough loss.

“Chin up, Sumit Nagal. You’ve made all of us proud," they commented.

Amongst the motivation, there was one fan who hoped the recent performance would be a taste of more to come in the future.

“Sadly, the dream run ends for Sumit Nagal, bowing out in 4 sets. Hope this is a precursor to even better performances and a fabulous 2024 ahead!” they wrote.

Here are more fan reactions to Sumit Nagal’s journey at the Australian Open 2024:

A closer look at Sumit Nagal's journey at the Australian Open 2024

Nagal's remarkable journey at this year's Australian Open concluded with a hard-fought defeat against China's Juncheng Shang in the men's singles second round.

After triumphing in qualifying matches without dropping a set, Nagal stunned the tennis world by defeating World No. 27 Alexander Bublik in the opening round, marking the first time in over a decade that an Indian male advanced beyond the tournament's initial stage. He also became the first Indian to defeat a seeded player in a Grand Slam since Ramesh Krishnan, who achieved the feat back in 1989.

In his second-round encounter, Nagal comfortably claimed the opening set 6-2, but Shang quickly adjusted his strategy and applied pressure on the Indian’s backhand. The Chinese capitalized on the continuous stream of unforced errors by Nagal and turned the tide in his favor and leveled things.

The Chinese player continued to implement his strategy, and despite a fight by Nagal in the third set, Shang kept his composure to claim it, 7-5. He won the next one with a score of 6-4 to wrap up the match and book his place in the third round against Carlos Alcaraz.