Sumit Nagal wins Rome ATP Challenger Tour 2023 tennis title; his first in four years
The Indian tennis player beat Dutchman Jesper de Jong 6-3, 6-2 in the final to win his third career title.
Tennis
Indian tennis player Sumit Nagal won the ATP Challenger event in Rome, Italy, on Sunday. It was his first ATP title in close to four years.
Summit Nagal beat Dutchman Jesper de Jong 6-3, 6-2 in the final to win his third career title.
The Indian tennis player last won an ATP title in Buenos Aires back in 2019. His maiden win came in Bengaluru in 2017.
“It always feels good to lift a trophy, especially when it’s been four years since you won your last one,” Sumit Nagal said on his Twitter page. “There were times when the days were cold and the cards all fold. It was hard to believe that this day would come.
“I struggled with numerous injuries, came back from surgery, fought COVID, endured tough matches, tougher training regimes, and my own internal demons,” Nagal reflected.
“I’d like to thank God and everyone that reminded me that even the bad days were tiny steps of a process in my growth as a tennis player and human being,” the Indian added. “Today was a good day, back to work tomorrow.”
The win also marked the first time that an Indian tennis player won a clay court ATP Challenger event on European soil. Ramesh Krishnan had won the 1982 ATP Stuttgart Open on clay, but the event was a higher-level ATP Tour event.
The 25-year-old Sumit Nagal also became the first Indian man to win a Challenger Tour final since Ramkumar Ramanathan in 2021 in Manama.
Sumit Nagal, who is placed 347th in singles ATP tennis rankings, made it to the main draw with wins over Jacopo Berrettini of Italy and Viktor Durasovic of Norway in the qualifiers.
In the round of 32, Sumit Nagal defeated Italy’s Francesco Maestrelli before eliminating another local player Fausto Tabacco in the second round.
In the quarter-finals, Summit Nagal beat Dutchman Max Houkes in straight sets, However, the Indian had to battle hard against Belgium’s Joris De Loore in the semi-finals to seal a place in the title clash.
Sumit Nagal was out of action for the majority of the last two years due to injury. Since returning to court, the Indian has played in nine tournaments in 2023.