India's Sumit Nagal to face Karen Khachanov on French Open debut

Published at :May 23, 2024 at 7:44 PM

Modified at :May 23, 2024 at 7:46 PM

(Courtesy : @ddsportschannel/X)

Sumit Nagal became the first Indian in five years to reach Roland Garros main draw.

Indian tennis star Sumit Nagal has been handed an extremely difficult first-round matchup at the upcoming French Open 2024. The 94th-ranked Nagal will take on 18th-seed Karen Khachanov in the opening round of the clay-court Grand Slam.

Khachanov, the Russian who won the Qatar Open 250 earlier this year, has been in fine form on clay in 2024. With a 7-3 record, he arrives at Roland Garros having made the quarterfinals last year before falling to eventual champion Novak Djokovic in four sets.

For Nagal, it will be his first main draw appearance at the French Open, and he faces a daunting challenge against an opponent who has reached the fourth round four times and the quarterfinals twice in Paris. Khachanov enjoys an impressive 21-7 record this season.

Also read: French Open schedule, live streaming details

Nagal’s preparation has been far from ideal. Plagued by injuries and a dip in form since his third-round loss to Holger Rune at the Monte Carlo Masters, the Indian missed the Madrid and Rome Masters events. He then suffered early exits at the Bordeaux Challenger and Geneva Open on his return.

The 25-year-old had started 2024 brightly, beating Alexander Bublik at the Australian Open for India’s first victory over a seeded player at a Grand Slam since 1989. He then won the Chennai Challenger and became the first Indian to win a main draw match at the Monte Carlo Masters, helping him climb to a career-high ranking of 80th.

India's Sumit Nagal to face Karen Khachanov on French Open debut

Sumit Nagal became the first Indian in five years to reach Roland Garros main draw.

Trending Indian Sports articles