Nagal Focuses on Evolving Game Amid Injury Struggles
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Mumbai: Sumit Nagal sat in the locker room of the Balewadi Tennis Stadium in Pune, reflecting on his second-round loss at the ATP Challenger. The 28-year-old dogged baseliner has struggled with injuries throughout his career, including a tear in his right hip flexor.
Nagal, who turned professional in 2015, has rarely played full, injury-free seasons. His last injury-free spell saw him break into the top 100 and reach a career-high 68 in July 2024.
Despite his struggles, Nagal remains the India No.1 and world No.282. He is looking to evolve his game, including mixing his play by picking moments to come up to the net.
Nagal has made changes to his off-court routine, including adding an extra hour to his warm-ups and cool-downs. He is heading back to the Nensel Academy in Germany for a few weeks of training before the clay swing next month.
The biggest positive for Nagal is finding motivation in his goals, including beating his mentor Somdev Devvarman's career-high ATP ranking of 62.
