After securing a historic first-round victory against Alexander Bublik, 26-year-old Indian tennis player Sumit Nagal stated that he isn’t contemplating a potential matchup with World number 2 Carlos Alcaraz at this early stage in the Australian Open 2024.
“No, not yet. I mean, I have another round to get through So first will be that. Of course, if I get over this round I will definitely be thinking about the next one,” Sumit Nagal said on Sony when asked about the possibility of facing Alcaraz later in the competition.
Sumit Nagal made history at the Australian Open on Tuesday, January 16, becoming the first Indian male player since 1989 to beat a seeded player at a Grand Slam by winning the first round. After this historic feat, Sumit Nagal shared a glimpse of the past few months worth of his tennis journey, and how it has played a pivotal role in his improvement.
“The last 12–18 months have been both good and bad. Bad due to my injury, and good because I learnt a lot during my break. When I returned to the court after the injury, it made me a better and more mature player. I felt and understood tennis much better, and I think that is paying off on the courts.” Nagal told Sony Sports.
During the Australian Open match on Tuesday, Nagal’s Kazakhstani opponent, Alexander Bublik, was observed talking repeatedly to himself and his box between the first and second serves. This prompted Nagal to assess his composure and capitalise on the already startled Bublik.
“When I saw him doing that, I knew I had to be there and just had to give him another ball. Serve a lot of first serves, and not give him chances too many times, and I think that worked well for me. Make him move a lot, and get him more and more annoyed.” Nagal added.
During his post-match interview, Nagal talked about his mindset and simplistic preparation plans for his next match at the Australian Open.
“The plan for tomorrow is to take it easy, do an ice bath, get some massage, get some extra hours of sleep. That’s a very typical day-off routine for me.” Nagal added.
The Jhajjar, Haryana-born Nagal plays China’s Shang Juncheng in his second-round fixture at the Australian Open 2024, where he will be fighting to extend his historic feat as an Indian tennis
