Australian Open 2024: Sumit Nagal becomes first Indian in 3 years to qualify for a Grand Slam singles main draw

“Happy to be in the main draw (of a Grand Slam) again,” Nagal, who will play in the main draw of a Major for the fourth time, told reporters from Melbourne on Friday.

What a battle out there today 💪🏽

Delighted to make the main draw of the @AustralianOpen 😍 pic.twitter.com/x8kyebziys

— Sumit Nagal (@nagalsumit) January 12, 2024

“I’m very proud of myself. 12 months ago, I was not even qualifying for a Challenger, barely getting points, barely getting matches. To qualify here is a very big step for me.”

Despite being in the lead from start to finish, breaking Molcan’s first service game in the opening set, there was a slight worry when Nagal was forced to call for a medical timeout for an abdominal issue right before he served for the match. He failed to convert two match points on Molcan’s serve before the timeout.

After managing to get over the line without a wobble, the 26-year-old later played down the problem. “I had already asked for the physio before the game even ended, I knew I needed treatment… Just a little bit of tightness. I was happy I got through,” he said, adding that the problem was not an ‘injury’.

He asserted that despite the physical issues, he is not concerned about playing a best-of-five match. He has never played a five-setter, but Nagal had famously taken a set off Roger Federer in the first round of their 2019 US Open encounter, before going down in four sets.

“I would like to thank everyone supporting back from India and around the world” 💙🇮🇳

We spoke with @NagalSumit exclusively following his qualification for the main draw of #AO2024, & here’s what he had to say 🤩#SonySportsNetwork #AustralianOpen #SlamOfTheGreats #SumitNagal pic.twitter.com/sk4WN0e9Li

— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) January 12, 2024

AITA standoff

Nagal himself was the last Indian to play in the singles main draw of a Grand Slam, at the 2021 Australian Open, after he received a singles wildcard reserved for one player from the Asia-Pacific region.

After the improvements in his ranking last year, he could have been one of the contenders for the same wildcard for the 2024 edition, but due to a standoff with the All India Tennis Association (AITA), which arose after Nagal refused to travel to Pakistan for India’s upcoming Davis Cup World Group 1 playoff tie, the federation failed to nominate him for wildcard contention.

Nagal’s decision to skip the tie mainly centered around his apprehensions of playing on grass, but regardless of the line of reasoning, his decision did not sit well with the national federation.

𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐍𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐥 – Remember the name 🙇🇮🇳

The champion from India paves his way in the main draw of Men’s Singles at #AO2024 🎾🙌#SonySportsNetwork #AustralianOpen #AusOpen #SlamOfTheGreats #SumitNagal | @NagalSumit pic.twitter.com/kfu15hT5Yg

— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) January 12, 2024

“There was no guarantee I would get the wildcard anyway. The (standoff) didn’t really affect me at all. I was happy to be in a position to play as well as I possibly could and give myself a chance to get into another tournament at the top level,” he said on Friday.

“I don’t think I’m playing tennis for AITA or anyone else. I’m playing for my family and those who believed in me. There are good and bad things in life but you just have to carry on.”

At the 2020 US Open, Nagal became the first Indian since Somdev Devvarman seven years prior, to win a main draw match at a Grand Slam. None have done so since, but the 26-year-old will be hoping to snap another barren run against the big-serving and flamboyant Bublik this coming week.