How Sumit Nagal has all but confirmed Paris Olympics spot in singles tennis

Indian tennis player Sumit Nagal on Monday all but secured a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics men’s singles draw after he surged 18 places to go up to a career-best 77th place in the updated ATP rankings. Nagal, who has 713 points now,
clinched the men’s singles title at the Heilbronn Neckarcup 2024 Challenger event
in Germany on Sunday, after he beat Switzerland’s Alexander Ritschard in three sets.

The Indian won 6-1 6(5)-7 6-3 in the final that lasted two hours and 22 minutes. Rankings, as on Monday, will be the basis for deciding entries for the Games.

According to the Olympics qualification criteria, the top 56 ranked men’s and women’s players in ATP and WTA rankings respectively, automatically qualify for the Games. However, there’s a limit of four players from a country to qualify, which gives lower-ranked players a chance. Somdev Devvarman was the last Indian player to enter the men’s singles competition of an Olympics, when he did so in 2012 courtesy a wildcard entry.

”Elated to win the title in Heilbronn this week. It was an important week for me, and I’m proud to have produced my best tennis when it mattered the most,” Nagal posted on X after his final win.

”If I win a match like this, I can be proud because the fight was insane. Ranking is secondary, first goal is to play good tennis,” he said at the end of his match.

The 26-year-old Nagal would be the sole Indian in the men’s singles event in Paris. The International Tennis Federation will notify national federations about qualified athletes by 12 June, following which National Olympic Committees will confirm their entries by 19 June.

This was the sixth ATP Challenger title for Nagal and the second of the year after the Chennai Open crown on home soil earlier this year.

Nagal, who is currently the best-ranked Indian singles player, has won four ATP Challenger titles since 2023 and the win in Heilbronn was his fourth title on clay tennis courts.

With PTI inputs