Rising Indian Tennis Star Sumit Nagal’s Progress Depends on Fitness and Quickness, Says Anand Amritraj
CHENNAI: Sumit Nagal, the rising star of Indian tennis, is poised to break into the top 100 ATP singles ranking in the next six months, according to Indian tennis legend Anand Amritraj. Amritraj believes Nagal’s success hinges on his fitness and speed, as he must outlast opponents rather than relying on overpowering them.
Nagal recently made waves after securing a place in the main draw of the Australian Open singles, although he was eliminated in the second round.
Sumit Nagal’s progress depends on his fitness and quickness because he cannot overpower too many people. He has to outlast them and construct the points, Anand told PTI during a Davis Cup celebration event at the Madras Cricket Club on Monday.
Ranking at 121 in the ATP singles ranking, Nagal has earned Anand’s backing to join the prestigious top 100 and become a regular contender in Grand Slam tournaments.
He is very close to making it to the top 100 in the next six months, which will earn him regular chances into the Grand Slams.
Anand commended Nagal’s groundstrokes, including his strong forehand and backhand, but advised him to focus on improving his serve.
He was a reserve in my Davis Cup team as the captain in 2018. A very nice boy with a very good groundstroke, much like Somdev (Devvarman). He doesn’t have a huge serve, but he is very quick and is solid off both forehand and backhand, which makes him a smaller version of Somdev. We need to wait and see how far he can get with that game type.
I will keep a close eye on him on how much he is improving. His serve needs to get bigger, and he needs one finishing shot – the forehand probably, he added.
In addition to Nagal, Anand also expressed his confidence in two more Indian players from Tamil Nadu, Ramkumar Ramanathan and Mukund Sasikumar. Anand believes that both players have the potential to break into the top 100 in the coming months.
While praising Ramkumar’s strong serve, Anand mentioned areas for improvement including his forehand and backhand.
I will say the same thing about Ramkumar. His serve is big anyway. He needs to improve his first serve percentage and also work on that forehand to put the ball away, besides being more consistent off the backhand.
Regarding Mukund Sasikumar, Anand described him as a talented player and sees no reason why he cannot reach the top 100. Anand hopes that both Ramkumar and Sasikumar, along with Nagal, can advance to this level, which would significantly benefit Indian tennis.
Currently, Ramkumar, Sasikumar, and the 26-year-old Nagal are actively participating in the Chennai Open ATP Challenger.
As the tennis enthusiasts eagerly follow these rising stars, their progress will be closely monitored to see if they can fulfill their potential and make a mark on the international stage.
