WATCH: After creating HISTORY in Australian Open, India’s Sumit Nagal pads up for first time at iconic MCG to play cricket
Nagal became the first Indian player to beat a seeded player in Grand Slam history since Ramesh Krishnan in 1989 in the singles main draw.
Sumit Nagal (Images via X)
Sumit Nagal, the 26-year-old Indian star, made history when he defeated a seeded player in a Grand Slam event with a 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(7-5) win over Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik on January 16 in the ongoing 2024 Australian Open. Following the victory, Nagal visited the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) to play cricket.
In a video posted by the X (formerly Twitter) handle of the Australian Open, Nagal recalled his childhood years when he used to play a lot of cricket on the streets and revealed he never padded up to play the game.
I think it's a privilege for every Indian to go through this. Playing cricket as a youngster, I invested a lot of hours into cricket…playing on the streets. To see one of the biggest stadiums in the world is a very nice feeling. Even though this moment didn't come through playing cricket (for India), I'm very happy to live in this moment right now.Nagal said in the video
Check it out here:
Notably, by beating 31st seed Bublik, Nagal became the first Indian player to beat a seeded player in Grand Slam history since Ramesh Krishnan in 1989 in the singles main draw. Nagal lost the second-round match against China’s Shang Juncheng 6-2, 3-6, 5-7, 4-6 on Thursday (January 18).
Sumit Nagal wanted to become a cricketer
Like most of the kids in India, Sumit Nagal, who was born in Jhajjar, Haryana, also dreamed of becoming a professional cricketer. But his father, Suresh Nagal, wanted his son to take up the tennis racquet, so an eight-year-old Nagal then joined a local tennis club.
Nagal became the sixth Indian player to win a junior Grand Slam title back in 2015. He won the title with his doubles partner, Vietnam’s Ly Hoang Nam, in the 2015 Wimbledon Championships.
The 26-year-old also dealt with financial difficulties, and help from Virat Kohli’s ‘Virat Kohli Foundation’ saved his career. In an interview with Bombay Times, the Haryana-born said he wouldn’t have reached this level without the support of Kohli’s foundation.
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Gouri Das
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