‘Losses do have an impact but I want to remember my wins’
He was eight years old when his father, Suresh Nagal, a school teacher, took him to a local sports club in Jhajjar, Haryana. It all began there for Sumit Nagal. Little did he know that two years of regular sessions at his local club and an entry into the Mahesh Bhupathi Tennis Academies (MBTA) at the age of 10, would be a turning point in his life. With an ATP ranking of 139, Nagal is in Melbourne, Australia, gearing up for 2021’s first Grand Slam — the Australian Open.
Ask him about his preparations for the Grand Slam, and he says, “I am still working a lot on myself. I am also trying to make my forehand a bigger weapon.”
Grand Slams are always special for tennis players but the 23-year-old, who won the Boys’ Doubles title at Wimbledon in 2015, doesn’t believe that playing in these four competitions of the year is an added pressure. “I feel happy to be here. There are only four slams in a year and if you represent your country in all the four, I don’t think there is any pressure. You should just be excited to be going to the court.”
So, what are India’s expectations from him? “India would like to have a Grand Slam champion, but it’s not easy. You just can’t wake up and become a Grand Slam champion. There is a lot of time that needs to be put in with good people and system and that will for sure take a while,” he shares.
Nagal believes that, we, as a nation, could have done better when it comes to tennis. “There is a lot of good talent. We are big country and we could have done better. But for that to happen, we need a better system, which is where we are lagging. You need to have professional people working around if you want to be playing on a higher level. Guidance is the most important thing,” he explains.
A regular member of India’s Davis Cup Squad, Nagal says that he is an athlete who wants to cherish his wins than remembering his career losses. “Some losses do have an impact on you, but I would say I [want to remember] my wins, and I think it should be that way. You should be more positive than negative,” he concludes.
Thereareonly fourslamsinayear andifyourepresent yourcountryinallthe four,thereisno pressure. SUMITNAGAL,