Sumit Nagal qualifies for his fourth Grand Slam main draw
Indian tennis sensation Sumit Nagal has qualified for the 2024 Australian Open main draw in the men's singles category. This will be Nagal's fourth Grand Slam appearance and his second at the Australian Open after 2021. He defeated former World Number 32 Alex Molcan 6-4, 6-4 in the final qualifying round to progress to the main draw. Here are further details.
Fourth Grand Slam appearance for Nagal
This will be Nagal's fourth Grand Slam appearance as he becomes the first Indian to feature on the Australian Open singles field after 2021. Then also, it was the 26-year-old who made it to the main draw in Melbourne. His maiden Grand Slam main draw appearance was at the 2019 US Open. He also qualified for the US Open next year in 2020.
A look at his Qualifiers
Nagal kick-started his Australian Open qualifiers against France's Geoffrey Blancaneaux. He defeated the Frenchman 6-3, 7-5 to progress to the next round. The 26-year-old got the better of Australia's Edward Winter 6-3, 6-3 to reach the final qualifying round. Ultimately, he defeated Slovakia's Molcan 6-4, 6-4 to qualify for the main draw. He didn't drop a single set during the qualifiers.
His first Grand Slam main draw win
Nagal registered his first win at the Grand Slam main draw back in the US Open 2020 where he defeated USA's Bradley Klahn. He became the first Indian since Somdev Devvarman in the 2013 US Open to win a singles Grand Slam main draw match.
AITA refused Nagal's wildcard nomination at the 2024 Australian Open
The All India Tennis Association (AITA) refused to nominate Nagal as a wildcard for the 2024 Australian Open after he opted out of India's Davis Cup tie against Pakistan. India's top-ranked singles player was in the reckoning of securing the Asian wildcard slot for the Australian Open, which would have helped him qualify for the main draw directly. But AITA refused to nominate him.
Nagal will face Alexander Bublik in the first round
Nagal will face Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik in the first round of the 2024 Australian Open. Bublik is a hard hitter, who likes to serve big and will be a massive challenge for the Indian star. Nagal lost his 2021 Australian Open main draw clash against Ricardas Berankis 6-2, 7-5, 6-3. Notably, he hasn't yet won a main draw match at the Australian Open.
Nagal had a breakthrough 2023
After suffering several injuries, Nagal made a comeback in 2023. He won two Challenger titles after four years. He bagged the Garden Open in Rome, becoming the first Indian to win a Challenger on European clay. He made it two in 2023 when he won the Tampere Challenger. Nagal's first win over a top 100 player came when he defeated Albert Ramos-Vinolas in Tulln.
