Sumit Nagal breaks into ATP Top 100 rankings for first time in his career

The top-ranked Indian tennis player won the Chennai Open Challenger title recently.

Sumit Nagal has successfully broken into the ATP top 100 in the updated rankings released on Monday (February 12). He is now World No. 98, a career-high ranking and is here for the first time since turning pro in 2015. Covid and a hip surgery dropped him to a low of No. 638 in the ATP Rankings in 2020, from inside the top 130 two years earlier.

Nagal, who took a set off Swiss great Roger Federer at the 2019 US Open, ended 2022 at No. 502 in the ATP Rankings.

What A Story. What A Player! 💙🙌Sumit Nagal has entered the top 1️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ of ATP rankings for the first time in his career after winning the Chennai Open Challenger title! 🇮🇳#SumitNagal #Tennis pic.twitter.com/9R919JfE9V

— Khel Now (@KhelNow) February 12, 2024

Nagal scored an upset win over Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik, seeded 31st in straight sets to reach the second round at the Australian Open. He became the first Indian to post a win over a seeded player in the men’s singles draw of a Grand Slam since Ramesh Krishnan in 1989.

Krishnan had defeated the then-world number one and defending champion Mats Wilander at the 1989 Australian Open. The 26-year-old wrapped up the match with a convincing straight-set win 6-4, 6-2, 7-6(5).

Congratulations to #SumitNagal for his amazing performance at the Chennai Open Challenger 🏆 He dominated the tournament without losing a single set and beat Luca Nardi in the final 6-1, 6-4 🎾Nagal enters top 100 in ATP rankings with the win. pic.twitter.com/xjWc9fovbO

— Khel Now (@KhelNow) February 11, 2024

Sumit Nagal’s 6-1, 6-4 win over Italy’s Luca Nardi in the Chennai Open 2024 singles final saw him rise to World No. 98 in the updated ATP rankings. He won the event held at the SDAT Tennis Stadium on Sunday. Nagal bagged his fifth Challenger-level title without dropping a set. He saved 5/7 (71%) break points against the Kazakh while converting a similar percentage in his favour.

Nagal broke the Italian’s serve in the second and fifth games of the first set to wrap it up in 38 minutes. Nagal won a break of serve against Nardi in the third game of the second set. Nagal saved two break points while serving for the match in the tenth game to seal the contest in one hour and 40 minutes.

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The German based Nagal will next be seen in action at the Bengaluru Open where he will take on Frenchman Geoffrey Blancaneaux in the first round. As there are both on opposite ends of the draw, it is a possibility that Nagal and Nardi may play their second Challenger final on the trot.

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