In a landmark moment for Indian tennis, Sumit Nagal became the first Indian player in 50 years to compete in singles at the Rolex Paris Masters, following in the footsteps of the iconic Amritraj brothers. Facing Australia’s Christopher O’Connell in the first qualifying round, Nagal put on an impressive display on the fast indoor courts of Paris-Bercy, despite them being less suited to his game style. He fought hard, establishing leads of 4-2 in the first set and 3-1 in the second-set tiebreak, but O’Connell staged determined comebacks in both sets to ultimately win 4-6, 6-7(3).

Though Nagal’s run ended in the qualifiers, his appearance at one of the world’s biggest indoor tournaments marks a significant career milestone, inspiring hope for Indian tennis. Nagal, exposed to this tournament and level for the first time in a career-best season, will hope to learn from the experience and use it in his next appearances at the big stages.

Nagal was a last minute alternate, and got to know that he’s playing just 90 minutes before the start of his match.

Photos from the match –