Prajnesh Gunneswaran And Sumit Nagal Make India Proud

For the first time in more than two decades, a Grand Slam event’s main draw incorporated multiple players from India. It was the 22-year-old, Sumit Nagal joining his compatriot, Prajnesh Gunneswaran at the US Open 2019 and the young ATP contestant made his debut in Grand Slams.

Sumit Nagal made a legendary debut at a Grand Slam event as he was drawn to face the godly incarnation of the sport, Roger Federer during the night session match on Arthur Ashe Stadium. He became the fifth Indian to enter the Grand Slam singles main draw in this decade. To make it major debut at Flushing Meadows, Nagal bounced back from a set down and a break down situation in the last round of the qualifiers. 

World Number 88, Prajnesh Gunneswaran faced World Number five, Daniil Medvedev in the opening round of the US Open 2019 and he conceded a 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 defeat to Russia’s number one tennis player. The qualifier Sumit Nagal surrendered to the five-time US Open champion, Roger Federer 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 in the first round of US Open 2019.

“It feels amazing. The last three Grand Slams I played I was in qualies and I didn’t win around… Playing the main draw of a Slam feels great. It’s what everyone dreams of. And to play against Federer, I’ve wanted this. I was telling my friends this yesterday. When people told me that Federer plays a qualifier, I was thinking about how much I’ve always wanted this. I want to play him. It doesn’t matter.”

“It’s not about winning or losing all the time. It’s just the experience. It’s playing someone who has 20 Grand Slams,” these were the words which Sumit Nagal pronounced upon learning about his first-ever Grand Slam opponent.

Nagal’s favorite surface is clay, and this year, he qualified for his first ATP tournament at Hamburg Open. He presently trains at Nensel Academy in Germany.

Team India skipper, Virat Kohli, has been idolizing the 20-time Grand Slam champion, Roger Federer, ever since he learned about the Swiss, but today, Kohli was cheering for his countryman, Sumit Nagal.

Prajnesh Gunneswaran and Sumit Nagal were the first Indian pair who featured in the Grand Slam singles draw. The last time, when today Indians were seen together in the singles draw was at Wimbledon 1998, where the duo, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi represented India at the English major.