Indian tennis star Sumit Nagal on Saturday, June 22 took to X (formerly Twitter) to confirm his 2024 Paris Olympics qualification. The top-ranked Indian tennis player, who confirmed a spot after his runner-up finish at the Perugia ATP Challenger tournament, rose to his career best of World No. 71 rank.
It is to be noted that Nagal will be the sole Indian in the men’s singles event at the Paris Olympics, after he logged 777 ATP points. Moreover, it will be Nagal’s second appearance at the Summer Games after he last featured at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Taking to social media, the 26-year-old expressed himself, calling it a “monumental moment”.
“Extremely glad to share that I have officially qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics. This is a monumental moment for me as the Olympics holds a special place in my heart! One of my career highlights so far was participating in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics,” he wrote in a post on X.
He also extended his gratitude to his sponsors, along with TOPS and SAI for their support over the last few months. “My heartfelt gratitude to my sponsors – Indian Oil, Aryan Pumps, Yonex, Asics, Bank of Baroda, SG Sports and the Nensel Academy family for their unwavering support over the years. And a big thanks to TOPS and SAI for extending help in the last few months,” he added.
Nagal’s ranking of World No. 71 is the joint fourth highest achieved by an Indian men’s player since 1973. Speaking in detail of his last few months on the court, Nagal kickstarted his 2024 season after securing a qualification the Australian Open main draw and subsequent victory over Alexander Bublik. He also earned a spot in the Indians Wells Masters and the Monte Carlo Masters, both of which are ATP 1000 tournaments.
The 26-year-old also made his French Open debut at the Roland Garros, the mecca of clay courts. However, he was eliminated in the first round by Karen Khachnov, he went on to win the Heilbronn Challenger in Germany before missing at title at Perugia Challenger in Italy.
The 2024 Paris Olympics tennis tournaments will be played from July 27 till August 4 at Roland Garros.