India’s top-ranked tennis player, Sumit Nagal, has officially confirmed his participation in the 2024 Paris Olympics. “I am thrilled to announce that I have officially qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics. This is a significant milestone for me as the Olympics hold a special place in my heart! One of my career highlights was participating in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. A big thanks to TOPS and SAI for their support over the past few months,” Nagal stated on X (formerly known as Twitter).
This will mark Sumit Nagal’s second appearance at the Olympics, having previously been the first Indian man since Leander Paes to win a singles match at the Tokyo Olympics. In that tournament, Nagal defeated Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin in the first round but was subsequently eliminated by ROC’s Daniil Medvedev in the second round.
Nagal’s rapid ascent over the past year has seen the 26-year-old climb to a career-high ATP ranking of 71, tying for the fourth-highest ranking achieved by an Indian men’s player since the introduction of the computerized ranking system in 1973.
His recent outstanding performances have contributed significantly to his surge in rankings.
After debuting at the French Open at Roland Garros, where he lost in the first round to Karen Khachanov, Nagal went on to win the Heilbronn Challenger in Germany. He nearly secured a consecutive title at the Perugia Challenger in Italy, losing to Luciano Darderi (6-1, 6-2) in the final.
Notably, all three tournaments were played on clay courts as Sumit aimed to prepare for the upcoming Olympics, which will also take place at Roland-Garros, renowned for its clay surface.
Before the Olympics, India’s top-ranked player will concentrate fully on Wimbledon, which is set to start on July 1. He will be competing in the tournament’s main draw for the first time.
