Sumit Nagal’s memorable run at the Australian Open 2024 came to an end following a 2-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 second-round defeat at the hands of Shan Juncheng. But the 26-year-old has given a good account of his abilities in Melbourne and with the right kind of support, the future could belong to him.
The story of the match
Nagal made headlines earlier by beating Alexander Bublik in straight sets to make it to the second round of the year’s first Grand Slam. His dream looked set to continue when he won the first set 6-2 in a commanding fashion. However, the 26-year-old Indian was not able to sustain the momentum in the second set as the Chinese mounted a strong comeback.
As the match went on, Shang found his rhythm and his serve became more and more lethal as Nagal struggled to keep up with the intensity of his game. By the time the fourth set of the match came around, Nagal appeared to be running on empty and he could not keep up with his 18-year-old opponent.
The best is yet to come
Nagal leaves Melbourne Park with great memories and 180,000 Australian dollars as prize money, having made the second round of the tournament. The prize money will hold him in good stead and cover a significant portion of his 2024 tour budget. The amount is invaluable for a player who recently shared that he was nearly bankrupt in the recent past and barely had enough money to train. Nagal also thanked Virat Kohli for helping him out during his tough phase and acknowledged that he didn’t know what he would have done, had it not been for Kohli’s help.
Where it went wrong for India and Nagal
Nagal’s inability to find consistent support so far in his career reflects poorly on India’s ability to support one of the most promising athletes in the country. In a way, Nagal’s success at the Australian Open is despite the lack of support that he has received in his career so far, rather than because of it.
Nagal’s performance at the Australian Open is certain to make others sit up and take notice of his abilities and could even possibly land him a sponsor going forward. Given that Nagal has achieved what he has so far without consistent backing and support, it is exciting to think about what he could achieve with the right kind of support and guidance.
