How Sumit Nagal battled self doubt, lack of motivation to end 2-year title drought

India’s tennis ace Sumit Nagal went without winning a tournament for two straight years. His ranking dipped and injuries halted his progress, but the 28-year-old kept pushing.

And last Sunday he finally found a breakthrough at the Intaro Open 2026 final in Romania. He lifted his seventh ATP Challenger title, defeating France's Felix Balshaw in straight sets 6-3, 7-5.

"Definitely means a lot. There have been a lot of tough times over the last two years with the way I was playing, how my body was feeling, the drop in my ranking and my earnings. A lot of emotions came with it," Nagal told The Bridge.

In July 2024, Nagal reached a career-high ranking of World No. 68. However, a dip in form and injuries led to a major drop to World No. 297 in February this year. But, his recent run in Romania earned him crucial ranking points and helped him climb back to World No. 219.

"It was tough to sleep on Sunday night. I probably slept around 4 a.m. Winning this title is a good confidence booster. It gives me new hope and a base from which I can start pushing again," he added.

Nagal admitted the toughest battle wasn’t always on the court and that there were times when he battled self-doubt and even questioned his choices.

"There were times when I didn't stay motivated. I'll be honest. I had a lot of bad thoughts. I questioned myself, what am I doing, why am I playing? Things weren't working on the court or off it," he confessed.

"But you have those bad days, you try to ignore them, and then you come back with a fresh mind. My team really pushed me to see a clearer picture, both on and off the court, and to invest more time in what I really wanted to do with my life and my tennis. Those talks really helped put me back in the right place," he added.

Nagal defeated four higher-ranked opponents, including three seeded players, on his way to the title.

"I wasn't looking at the rankings. I just wanted to get back to playing the kind of tennis I was playing two or three years ago. I felt I didn't play at that level last year," he pointed.

"The focus was to improve day by day and match by match, work on my forehand, my serve, keep my head up and manage my emotions. It was all about me," he concluded.