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Sumit Nagal qualifies for Paris 2024 Olympics
Sumit Nagal Qualifies for Paris 2024 Olympics, marking his second appearance at the Games
Sumit Nagal is currently ranked 82nd in the ATP rankings. (Photo credit: Reuters)
Indian tennis ace Sumit Nagal confirmed on Saturday that he has officially secured his spot in the men’s singles event at the upcoming Paris Olympics.
"Extremely glad to share that I have officially qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics. This is a monumental moment for me as the Olympics hold a special place in my heart," Nagal posted on X.
His performance at the Heilbronn Challenger earlier this month paved the way for his qualification, propelling him into the top 80 of the ATP singles rankings.
After turning pro in 2015, Sumit Nagal made history by becoming the first Indian to qualify for a Grand Slam by defeating Alex Molcan of Slovakia in straight sets in the final round of qualifying for the Australian Open.
He further etched his name in the record books by becoming the first Indian player since 1989 to defeat a seeded player in a Grand Slam, overcoming Alexander Bublik in the first round of the tournament.
This will be Nagal’s second participation in the Olympic Games, having previously been part of the Indian contingent. He is also the first Indian man since Leander Paes to win a singles match at the Tokyo Olympics, where he triumphed over Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin in the first round but faced defeat against Russia's Daniil Medvedev in the second round.
Nagal made his Roland Garros debut earlier this year but was eliminated in the first round by Karen Khachanov. As he prepares for his return to the clay court for the Olympics, Nagal will focus on the upcoming Wimbledon games, set to commence on July 1st.
His recent runner-up finish in Perugia propelled him to an ATP ranking of 71, which is the joint-fourth highest ranking achieved by an Indian man since the introduction of the computerized system of rankings in 1973.
"One of my career highlights so far was participating in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics," stated Nagal on his social media platforms. "Ever since then, Paris has been a significant goal for me."
Nagal also thanked TOPS and SAI for their help in the last few months.
