Sumit Nagal gets main draw entry at French Open 2024, first Indian in five years to secure spot

Sumit Nagal’s main draw entry follows impressive performances at Marrakech Open and Monte Carlo Masters.

Sumit Nagal has secured his place in the men’s singles main draw at Roland Garros, becoming the first Indian male player since Prajnesh Gunneswaran in 2019 to qualify for the French Open main draw.

The 25-year-old’s qualification to the clay court Grand Slam event, scheduled from May 20 to June 9, caps off a series of impressive performances that have propelled him up the ATP rankings to a current mark of 80th.

Nagal’s road to Paris has been paved with notable results over the past weeks. He reached the second round at the ATP 250 Grand Prix Hassan II in Morocco, dispatching Frenchman Corentin Moutet before falling in a tight three-set battle against Lorenzo Sonego. The Indian star also made a statement at the Monte Carlo Masters, advancing to the second round of the main draw.

In the ongoing Monte Carlo Masters 2024, Nagal has created multiple records. The Haryana-born tennis star became the first Indian player to win a singles main draw match at Principality. Nagal produced a comeback masterclass against World No. 38 Matteo Arnaldi.

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Nagal’s journey in 2024 has been a fairy tale story with a tennis player becoming the first Indian player since 1989 to defeat a seed when the Jhajjhar-born defeated Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan in straight sets. Nagal then went on to win the Chennai Open title on the ATP Challenger Tour.

He will aim to build on his recent surge and replicate the success of his compatriot Gunneswaran, who made headlines with his breakthrough French Open main draw appearance four years ago. The Indian’s fortunes at Roland Garros will be closely followed.

The current French Open men’s singles champion is Novak Djokovic, who defeated Casper Ruud in the 2023 final.

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