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BENGALURU: Sumit Nagal, who peaked at No. 68 in July 2024, dropped out of the top 300 within 12 months. The past two years have been difficult for the Haryana player, who suffered back and hip injuries and played through pain early last year, which also hurt his results.During that period, Nagal did not talk to anyone and lost touch with his friends. He no longer wants to think about those days, when it was difficult to motivate himself. "There were a lot of bad thoughts. I had questions for myself—what am I doing? Why am I playing?" Nagal said.
But on Saturday, the 28-year-old found a reason to cheer. The India No. 1 claimed a 6-3, 7-5 win over Frenchman Felix Balshaw to win the Intaro Open in Romania.
His seventh ATP Challenger title also ended a title drought, with his last Challenger triumph coming at the Heilbronn Challenger in Germany in June 2024."The title means a lot, especially considering how my body was feeling over the last two years. There was a drop in rankings and earnings, too," said Nagal, who has also focused on his eating and sleeping habits. "The title is a good way to boost your confidence. It gives you hope and a base from which I can start pushing again."
The clay-court title also helped him climb to No. 219 in the latest ATP singles rankings, and Nagal is feeling confident about his body as well. En route to the Intaro title, his physical levels were tested in four straight three-set matches, all of which he won. These are encouraging signs for a player who has competed in 17 tournaments in the first six months of the season."It (my body) is getting better. Every match makes you feel better, especially if you play a long match. It gives you more and more confidence in yourself. Last week was a good example because I played a lot of matches and my body felt good," he added.Nagal did not commit to any specific goals for the remainder of the season but said he wants to "play tennis, week in and week out."
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