"I don’t know if I would be happy about it" - Sumit Nagal on the possibility of facing Novak Djokovic at Australian Open
Indian tennis star Sumit Nagal secured a main-draw berth at the Australian Open 2024 after beating France's Alex Molcan of Slovakia 6-4, 6-4 in the final qualifying round on Friday, January 12, at the Melbourne Park.
The World No. 139 will play in his second Australian Open main draw this year; he was also granted a wildcard in 2021. Nagal will face Russian-born Kazakhstan player Alexander Bublik in the first round on Monday (January 15).
In an interaction with the Sony Sports Network after qualifying for the main draw, the top-ranked Indian men's singles player was asked how he would react if he was drawn against either Novak Djokovic or Daniil Medvedev. He responded:
"If I had drawn Djoko…I don’t know if I would be happy about it (chuckles). But to play Sasha Bublik, it’s tough to play him here. They are great players, big servers, and like to play good tennis."
He added:
"I am looking forward to play Sasha (Bublik). We grew up in juniors together. Knowing him for a while, I know he is gonna be quick tennis without rhythm but these are the matches that I need to get through."
Sumit Nagal excited at the possibility of breaking into top 100 of ATP rankings
In November 2021, Sumit Nagal underwent hip surgery following an injury he sustained in the US Open 2021 qualifiers. This kept him out of action for a long period.
His return to the court wasn't ideal either. Although he got wildcard entries into many Challenger events, he repeatedly got knocked out in the first round.
Now, however, the 26-year-old is back on track. He expressed excitement about the possibility of breaking into the top-100 of ATP rankings in the coming months.
"I have worked very hard with my team (after the hip surgery). It’s been a journey. Looking at last year not getting into Challengers, asking for a wildcard to qualify for a Slam. Lot of things can happen here and I worked hard for it. I’m really happy," he said.
"(I am) excited to be honest. I was at this spot a few years back but unfortunately because of COVID and injuries, I couldn’t really push myself. But I am excited and looking forward to break the top 100 if I stay healthy. But no pressure to be honest. I’m enjoying playing tennis, enjoying being on the court, and giving everything on it," he added.
Sumit Nagal's best performance in a Grand Slam event remains a second-round finish at the 2020 US Open, the year he reached his career-high world ranking of No. 122.