Sumit Nagel is ATP 80
Stefanos Tsitsipas, a Greek, is currently ATP 12 in the ranking and won his third Monte Carlo title last week. His resurfacing tennis is novel and refreshing, after a while. His best results of his carrier came from sand courts. To my observation, his improved command over his net-game, it is making the difference. He is back into the Top 10.
The net game is the best alternative to the tiring groundstroke repertoire. Tsitsipas did have a net game and in Monty Carlo last week, it was spectacular. In tennis, final score will not show rallies won but only the games won, compilation of a game is as strategic as rally tactics. Tsitsipas has mastered this and against Jannik Sinner, this made the difference.
Italian spring is it
In the last decade and half Italy has rolled out very good players after a noticeable void. Sinner, has a solid game is No.2 in the ATP ranking, along with Musetti, Sonego and Berrettini. Italy produced 30 ranked players in both gender in the last two decades. Sinner has won on all surfaces in the recent past including a Grand Slam title. This year has been busy and sparkling for Sinner.
This year’s spring schedule got Sinner tired. He had cramps on court playing Tsitsipas in Monte Carlo semifinal. Tennis does not give time off for cramps. Sinner looks frail not carrying weight but is another evolved tennis players for his type of the game. He will be number one very soon. He has shrank Djokovic’s lead over him for the top spot; it is a matter of time now.
Injury time
After 14 weeks of pro circuit in Australia, the Americas, Arabia, North Africa and Southern Europe, players are showing their scares. Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz is nursing his arm and he may have to skip events. Wrong time to miss.
Player development riddle
This aspect has become a gamble to new entrants aspiring to be tennis players. After ATP in 1972, the realm of player development slipped away from private hands to private academies. Here players gained a tactical game and precious match play practice to mature. The ideal tennis academy has-it-all. We are not bound to find them everywhere unfortunately.
For the development aspect, WTA and ATP must get the credit. They need players, fresh names to kindle interest in the global audience. They selectively direct sponsors to effective and responsible academies for symbiotic reason. Professional tennis is competitive.
It is open, attracts audience better. ATP and WTA engineered this development with their New-Gen promotion. These young Invitees are from open-world-ranking, not spring chicken, making New-Gen a matured lot.
ATP / WTA ladder reward
Even more impressive is the prize money professional setups roll out every year. If a player gets into top 400, players do not go home poor any more. A mega economy in which players are the central focus, even in early experience acquiring phase players are happy with what they earn.
Early satellite professional events are for players to enter the professional ranks. On the part of the players, lack of participation in ladder events, is the reason for stagnation. Often, in Asia players physical attributes falls short to conduct effective tactical play to conclusive stages of a match. Tactical tennis in a player evolves from participation and nothing else. This is the most common ‘missinglink’ of player development.
Next 12 weeks will be with European tennis. European Clay and the grass court tennis popularity is equivalent to major league in football.
Indian Sumit Nagel
Nagel ranked 80 in the ATP ranking and took a set of Holger Rune in Monty Carlo last week. That is praise worthy. Nagel got his taste of Grand Slam victory in 2015, when he won the Wimbledon Junior Doubles title with Vietnamese partner. He is 26 years of age and stands at five foot and 10 inches. This year he became the first Indian to win a match in a Grand Slam event after 35 years. [Ramesh Krishnan was the last in 1989 in Australia]. If predictions come true, he will be in the Top 30 by the end of this year.
Nagel’s game shows sand courts to be his favourite. His height is good but body mass may have to increase. On the other hand, less weight is speed on the court. My reading is that he will go up and will remain noticeable for a good while.
Not national but professional
Nagel’s development formula is worth a study. Countries dominated before the formation of ATP, have not found the development stream for professional tennis. Their thought is still in ‘national frame work’.
Nagel’s success is a lead to those countries where tennis is over a century old. Australia was big name in tennis, after professionalism, their presence has become meagre. So is ours in Sri Lanka and in all British Commonwealth nations. We had a head start, now left behind.