In an intimate, freewheeling car interview with Brut India, India’s No. 1 men’s singles tennis player Sumit Nagal gets completely candid about the harsh realities of professional tennis. From the astronomical costs of competing and dropping to ₹80,000 in his bank account post-surgery to taking a set off Roger Federer and his unapologetic love for Delhi street food, Nagal lays bare what it truly takes to survive on the global tour.

Host: So we have a literal tennis player who is India’s number one at the moment sitting right next to us, talking to Brut. So let’s start right from the scratch. When did you start with your tennis journey?

Sumit Nagal: Seven and a half is, I think, when I first picked up… that was the first time I picked up my tennis racket. It was in Delhi, in Paschim Vihar. Since then, I’m 28 now, guys, you know, old, so… (laughs) Yeah, so been playing a lot, and from there it was very much of day by day, year by year, I went with the flow and I never looked back.

Host: So what we do know about tennis is that it has produced such success stories. There have been so many Indian tennis players who have made the headlines. But at the end of the day, this is not a sport which makes the top headlines every time. Again, we have cricket, which kind of dominates it. What does your perception stand on that?

Sumit Nagal: The sport is very tough because, you know, in tennis you are competing pretty much with the world or against the world, you know. Europe being so heavy into tennis, America being so heavy, South America if you look at it, now Asia is also doing well. For us, tennis is not India’s… India’s sport, I would say, you know, it’s not for Indians as of now. We don’t have the infrastructure as of now. Things have changed in the last 30, 40 years. Tennis has evolved at a very high level. It has become super tough physically, mentally, technically, tactically, financially. So there are a lot of, a lot of aspects you have to put in to give yourself a chance to, if you want to succeed. You know, in tennis we have a saying: if you are top 100 in men’s, that means you have succeeded, you know, because you are a main draw player in a Slam.

Host: You were at the 68th position…

Sumit Nagal: Right, I was top 100. I was top 100 for one and a half year. I was 120 before COVID, then I came back also. So yeah, the ranking is depending on, you know, how you are performing in the tennis tournament. Every point you make, it stays for 52 weeks in your ranking, so just the whole year.

So yeah, I mean going back to your question, tennis is still not there yet in India. We, I think we had better, better years in 1960s, 70s and 80s, till 90s I would say. Now, towards singles has come down a bit, but I believe there are good things that gonna happen. I do believe there are right people getting into the sport now and I really hope that we can make a change and bring back where at least we have 5-6 players in top 200, and same goes for women as well, you know. And then you push yourself, you push the younger generation, and I think once you achieve that, I think you’re in a good spot.

Host: One of those right players is right next to us. So that’s a coincidence for sure! (Laughs) But okay, moving on. Let’s go to the time that you were learning tennis and back home growing up. Did your parents ever say to you that, you know, this is a moment where you should be focusing on your studies, why are you focusing on the sport?

Sumit Nagal: Actually never, because my dad is a teacher, he’s a school teacher. Once I started playing a sport, he never said, okay, I need you to be super focused in studies. He said finish your school, do finish, but he never put crazy amount of stress or pressure on studies. It was more on tennis than studies.

My dad was never the pushy one, didn’t say anything. He said, listen, this is what the stage is, this is what the scenario is, I have given you the opportunity, you do what you want to do with it. And a lot of mistakes, obviously everyone makes a lot of mistakes, and I learned from… Exactly. And I think that was for me one of the greatest experience, you know. Till you don’t realize yourself what is good, what is bad, you know, so many people can tell you, but it’s going to go from one ear to another ear, that’s it, you know. Yeah.

Host: Okay, so now it’s definitely known that you are in that fame category, people know you, but obviously there can be times that, you know, people don’t recognize you immediately. So when that doesn’t happen, does that bother you or do you prefer that anonymity?

Sumit Nagal: No, not really. You know, the good thing about this is I can do whatever I want, you know. I can eat as many golgappas as I want.

Host: Oh, you can?

Sumit Nagal: Yeah! A good friend of mine, Talwinder, when they asked him why this and that, he was joking about, you know, that he doesn’t get to eat golgappas wherever he wants. So for me, that’s an easy job. So actually it’s better like this because I get to live my life, you know. Everyone has their dreams, their desire, what I want to do, you know, how, where I want to eat this and that. And I feel like sometimes, you know, the celebrities in India, I feel like it’s too much, you know. They can’t get out of their house. They can’t do things that they want to do. And I feel like it’s not a good thing to take that away from a human, you know. At the end of the day, everyone has a desire, everyone wants to do something. So to me, it doesn’t bother me at all. It’s fine.

Host: I was going to ask if he gives in to his cravings, and it seems like he does! Cuz like, there’s no restrictions on you per se?

Sumit Nagal: I mean, with the food, you mean?

Host: Yes.

Sumit Nagal: Yeah, I mean there is, but you know, of course, of course! You know, the diet has to be very, you know, let’s say you have to be very careful of what you eat in tennis because at the end of the day, you are playing an individual sport. If you are not playing, you are not playing, you know. And if you don’t have enough in the tank, you don’t have. There’s nobody can come and substitute you or play on your behalf.

And in tennis, you have to look at the whole 11-month season. It’s not just three months and then vanish, because then you will not climb high in the ranking. So yeah, I mean I have to be careful. Obviously everyone has cheat days. I won’t lie.

Host: I mean, it’s allowed!

Sumit Nagal: Sure, I will not lie. I mean, I’m a big fan of samosas, jalebis, you know, chaat…

Host: Do you give in to these cravings after you land in India?

Sumit Nagal: Not yet. I mean, now, since I’m still in the middle of the season, I will stay away from it. Maybe in November when my season ends, I’ll, yeah, get into it! (Laughs) Yeah, just one, two bad days, you go for it. There is no, you know, you don’t try to say, listen, I will eat this much aaj and then kal I’ll eat this much. No, you take one, two days, eat what you want, and then you say, okay, back to it.

Host: Do you have this like, key, let’s say it’s a Sunday, you’re done with your tournament, you just wake up and you just want chole bhature, let’s say?

Sumit Nagal: Chole bhature is obviously, I don’t get because majority of the time I’m traveling outside India, so very tough to find good chole bhatures. And also, you know, I’m from Delhi. Chole bhature in Delhi is… you’re not going to eat in Frankfurt or Munich just because you’re craving. So if I’m craving, I’ll wait for my good piece, come to Delhi, and then yeah, go for it, you know.

Host: Fair, fair.

Sumit Nagal: I mean, there are some athletes, like for example, Djokovic, you know. He has crazy amount of control on himself, and huge respect. But people like him, they’re one in the world, you know. I’m a foodie person, I enjoy food. It’s one life, you gotta enjoy it, man!

Host: Okay, let’s talk a bit about the sport now. People see the person playing, let’s say, at Wimbledon, or let’s say the Grand Slam, but what they don’t see is the amount of money that goes in the visa application, your hotels, your coaches, your physios.

Sumit Nagal: Sure.

Host: And from what I read about you, you’re born in a middle-class family, coming from Haryana and all. How was it like managing the finances?

Sumit Nagal: So when I started playing tennis, we had no clue what we were getting into it. Right? Tennis, go hit some balls, this and that. How expensive can it be? Because where I was playing, where I was starting, it wasn’t expensive at all at that time. So I was like, yeah, sure, we kept on going, going, going.

Then one day, I was coming from a practice, and my dad read an article in the newspaper saying that Mahesh is doing a program where he’s going to pick up or he’s going to select some athletes. We had no clue how many, there was nothing written about anything, just that he’s doing and there is a selection events happening in these four cities, and one was Delhi.

Host: Okay.

Sumit Nagal: I was telling my dad, Dad, I was maybe ranked under 12, 30, 40, 50, something like this. So I was like, “No, Dad, leave it, you know, I’m not going to get selected.” He’s like, “No, anyway it’s in Delhi, doesn’t hurt us.” I said cool. I think it was 22nd December, if I’m not wrong, or 21st or 22nd December is when the selection was.

We were supposed to go in the morning. I think the reporting time was 8 or 9 AM, 9 AM, something like this. Then Dad was sick. He’s like, “Yeah, I’m not feeling so good. Maybe better you go with Mom.” And I’m like, my god! Because with Dad, at least we had a motorbike. So with Dad, I was thinking at least, okay, I get on a motorbike and we go there. We were going from West Delhi to DLTA, which is in South Delhi.

Host: Okay.

Sumit Nagal: So it was a solid 25-kilometer ride. And I said, okay, that means like going with Mom, I have to take a bus. I was like, I’m not so pumped. I’m like, “Nah, leave it, it’s okay, it’s okay.” He’s like, “No, no, no, go, go.” I said, okay, we go.

We went, started, the day started, you know. We were maybe 3,000 kids, 2,000 kids, something like this in Delhi, yeah. And few of them on every court, 10, 12, 20 kids maybe on every single court. Basic drills: you hit, you move around, you hit, you go, you move around, pick up the balls, come back in the line, this and that.

Was going on: 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 40 minutes. And then I was getting annoyed that I wasn’t getting selected, you know. Some people that I knew in my age group were getting selected, and I was like, man, like I’m better than them and I’m still not getting selected. So I wasn’t in a good mood. And I’m like 10, whatever, you know, for me, that’s the knowledge I have at that time.

And then I got frustrated, and then I went and I pulled somebody’s hand, you know. I didn’t know who it was. It was a tall, big gentleman standing with hands behind, and I go, “Hey, do you mind looking at my game, because there’s a person that you selected, I beat him every day!” (Laughs) And…

Host: And you didn’t know that was Mahesh?

Sumit Nagal: I didn’t know it was Mahesh, yeah! And then…

Host: This is destiny, playing its part!

Sumit Nagal: Exactly! So for me, like that line, that line changed my life. Because if I hadn’t pulled his hand and asked him, I would never be here.

Because you can’t… you’re spending a lot in tennis. As of now, like, you know, for people who’s traveling with a coach or a fitness trainer, you are spending 2 to 3 CR a year. It goes fast! And at that time, okay, I’m still young, I didn’t need that. But my dad, like I mentioned earlier, my dad was a teacher. I mean, you know, in 2008 you’re getting what, maybe ₹20,000, ₹15,000 as a salary as a government teacher, so it was impossible to play tennis.

And yeah, from there on, he said, “Yeah, go hit some balls.” I hit, he smiled, he laughed, blah blah blah. The next day we had to come back to do fitness. And in fitness, that’s what I was good at because I was playing so much on the streets that I actually had very good hand-eye coordination, the running, and this and that. And now if I look back, I was happy, you know, that I went and played. I did something out of my room. Now, obviously the generation has changed so much, you know, you don’t really see so many kids playing on the street anymore. But look at, for me it was the best gift I had.

Host: Correct.

Sumit Nagal: For me, I’m now, like if you look at it in tennis, I’m one of the fittest tennis player. I mean…

Host: Want to flex for them?

Sumit Nagal: No, the flex is not here, but it’s here in my legs! (Laughs) But like, you know, tennis in singles is… you have to be fit to play, because when we step on the court, especially in Slams, we don’t know if the match is going to be 90 minutes or 5 hours.

Host: Yeah.

Sumit Nagal: And 5 hours playing yourself is… that’s why the sport is, for me, tennis as an individual sport is the toughest sport in the world. I understand there’s no contact sport, it’s not a contact sport, but what you go through those 5 hours alone, it’s a joke.

The coach who was coaching me, Bobby Mahal, we realized that it’s cheaper for me to be in Canada than to have an overseas coach in India.

Host: Oh.

Sumit Nagal: So 2010 summer, applied for a visa, left home. 2010, sorry, 2010 is when I left India.

Host: So you were still like 13?

Sumit Nagal: Yes, yeah, exactly. Turning 13. I left before my birthday, I remember. Yeah, went to Toronto, lived there for 4-5 years.

Host: Wow.

Sumit Nagal: Yeah, would come back home once a year to see my parents, my family, and…

Host: So you dedicated your life to tennis at this age itself?

Sumit Nagal: Pretty much, yeah. So that’s when I told you, like, you know, when 12, 13 is where I decided, okay, man, you gotta make something out of it, because this opportunities won’t come back again.

Host: Do you respond to people on your…

Sumit Nagal: Sometimes, sometimes, you know, if it’s a valid question or answers, yes. I try, I try to…

Host: I think your answers make their day then!

Sumit Nagal: Exactly. I try to respond as much as possible, but yeah.

Host: So you’re talking about your finances, and I remember there’s this one time in your life where you just had some ₹80,000 in your bank account, and you still had to sponsor your coach and your physio. What happened?

Sumit Nagal: Right, right. Yeah, right, right. So I had a bad injury in ’21 where I had to get a surgery done, and it put me out of the tournaments. Right, for tennis, if you are not playing, you are not earning. It’s very simple. We don’t have a salary. We are not salary-based like, you know, other athletes or other profession where even if you don’t play and you’re on the bench, you get something. We don’t have that in tennis. They just started now.

But back in ’21, I didn’t play, so no earning. But my expenses are still there because I’m doing rehab, I’m trying to work on my tennis again, you know. I had gone through that six months, realized that surgery is what I need. Then to do surgery and to start feeling okay where I can play is another six months. To play at the level that you want to play is another 3-4 months. So if you look at it, that’s 15-16 months gone.

Host: Yeah, it’s more than a year!

Sumit Nagal: Exactly. So, and you’re not earning because you’re not performing well, you’re in pain, for six months you’re not playing. And for the 2-3 months, you’re not making, 3-4 months you’re not making anything because you are not at the level that you want to be.

Then yeah, dropped in the ranking. When I got injured, I was 120, and when I started back again, I was already 500.

Host: Oh.

Sumit Nagal: So that’s a big, big, yeah, exactly, big drop. 500 means no more Slams, no more of big… you can’t really play 250s, you cannot play 500s or you cannot play big Challengers. That mean I’m playing very small tournaments.

Now, obviously, big, big change that has happened in the last few, few 3-4 years is that the government is stepping in into tennis and really, really supporting the athletes now. Now AITA is moving in in a good, good, good place. I think in the next few… that’s why when I started, I think in next few years, I think there’s going to be a good change. So people have knowledge about it, people are involved, but still I feel like, you know, a program run by a very good people is missing.

Host: Okay.

Sumit Nagal: If you want to move ahead in tennis in India, I think once that happens, there will be much better results.

Host: So is it like the sport needs more attention from the authorities?

Sumit Nagal: I think it just need good people running the program, people who have played at a very high level, people who actually want to do from their heart instead of just money. I feel like, you know, that’s when this switch happens, you will find good results, where they actually care about the sport. Let’s put it that way. Yeah.

Host: You have also played with Roger Federer, right?

Sumit Nagal: Right.

Host: How was that experience for you?

Sumit Nagal: Yeah, this was in 2019, my first Slam main draw. For the first Slam, I qualified. And I was looking at the draw, and I was like, yeah, maybe it would be nice to play Roger, because usually the main draw draw comes before the qualies ends, and then you have like a spot written in the draws, it says that “Qualifier.”

Host: Okay.

Sumit Nagal: So I was like, yeah, if I qualify, I would love, love, love this to happen. And I was getting a massage, and I had won my qualifying round, finished my match, getting a massage.

My fitness trainer Milos messages me saying, “Roger.” That’s it. And I kind of knew what that meant! And I was super excited, you know. Excited and nervous at the same time. Excited that you’re playing Roger, nervous that you’re like, “Oh man, I don’t want to get beaten up too bad!” (Laughs)

So first time you’re playing on a big court, right? It’s also, I played on Arthur Ashe, which is the biggest tennis court in tennis. You have what, 25, 27,000 people capacity. For tennis, that is pretty big. And I knew it’s going to be a main match for him, for the tournament, because it’s Roger opening up. So I played at 7:00 PM Monday match.

Walking in, I remember the day before, like I was struggling to sleep, hands were, my palms were sweaty, my feet were sweaty.

Host: Nervousness or excitement?

Sumit Nagal: Yeah, both. I think a mix of both. Because you’re, like I said, you’re nervous about some part and you’re excited about some part. So I would say it was kind of mix of both. I remember that I woke up on Monday morning, I had breakfast, and then went back to sleep again because, like I said, I didn’t sleep so good the night before.

Before the match starts, in US Open there is a pre-interview. And I was like, “Man, just ask me something that I know the answer, don’t ask me some ridiculous question!” (Laughs) I had prepared like 20 different questions and scenarios in my mind. I go there, it was Brad Gilbert who did an interview, and it was just one question. And it was a very funny question that he asked me and he got me off guard, you know, I wasn’t expecting it. I laughed, I giggled, I answered the question. And then I felt like, maybe since he got me off guard, it was better for me that I relaxed a bit.

I got on the court. I ended up winning the first set 6-4. Had a game point, break point in the second set, didn’t win. From there, for me, I felt like my level went down a bit and Roger’s level was, he raised his level. I was two sets to one down, and the fourth set, I felt like I had a good chance. I was down in the fourth set throughout the whole last set, but at the last game when he was serving 5-4, I felt like… I was love-40, three break points. And I felt like once if I had taken that break point, maybe things could have been different. That was just my feeling at the time that I was feeling on the court, and I feel like, you know, I missed out there.

But overall, what an experience, especially for your first Slam, to play somebody as somebody who’s tennis God, you would say, you know, and a player to watch. Everybody loves watching Roger.

Host: So you’ve played so many tennis matches, of course. What would be that one match and one learning lesson from these matches that you’ve played?

Sumit Nagal: For me, I think this was important. Another player I played, Dominic Thiem in US Open year before, right away…

Host: So 2018?

Sumit Nagal: 2020.

Host: 2020.

Sumit Nagal: ’19 is when I played Roger, and ’20 I played Dominic Thiem in US, second round of the Slam main draw.

The way I lost that match was very funny, because it was from starting to end in a very similar way. And I realized that how important it is to have that intensity throughout the match, because he beat me on just pure intensity and the, let’s say, yeah, the strength that he had. He was a very good ball striker, and he kept doing that, he didn’t get bored. And for him, because he was already two in the world at that time when I played him, and he ended up winning that Slam. So it’s not like, you know, I played him when he was young or old.

Yeah, for me that was an interesting one, because like I said, he beat me pretty easy, I would say 3, 3, 2 [6-3, 6-3, 6-2], that’s not a very tough score in tennis. But I realized that how important it is that good quality shots over and over and over creates a lot of opportunities. Yeah.

Host: So now we’ve talked so much about tennis. Let’s keep tennis aside now. Now let’s try to understand who Sumit Nagal is outside of the sport. So if we just let’s say sideline tennis, who are you?

Sumit Nagal: Funny, good friend, and a gamer.

Host: Let’s go! (Laughs) He’s a good friend, guys, and he’s a gamer!

Sumit Nagal: And I’m a gamer, yeah.

Host: He doesn’t just love sports, he loves other games as well.

Sumit Nagal: Yeah.

Host: So how has your relations with your, let’s say, friends and your family, you know, over the time changed now that you are in the sport? But over the time, how has that been?

Sumit Nagal: I mean, so when I talk about friendship, I’m lucky that majority of my friends are from 2009, ’10, ’11. So you can see that I’ve been friends with them for 15, 16 years. So nothing has changed there. I was the troubled one in the friend circle, you know. I was the one who would create some problems here and there. But I think, you know, maybe that’s what they enjoyed. (Laughs)

And I have grown up a lot. I’m much better, I would say, I’m more calmer. But young me was trouble, a lot of trouble. And with my family, it’s been always good. I love them, they love me, they’ve always supported me no matter what what I do on the tennis court. And I would not ask for more, you know. I’m very happy the way they taught me and treated me since a very young age, yeah.

Host: So what’s the first thing you’ll do when you land in India?

Sumit Nagal: First thing I do is that I eat my mom’s kadhi chawal.

Host: Wow.

Sumit Nagal: So that’s the first thing. She knows, she doesn’t even ask me anymore, what do you need. First thing I come home… okay, before kadhi chawal is chawal with the shakkar.

Host: Okay, yes.

Sumit Nagal: The red one, Haryanvi, very Haryanvi type. We put a lot of desi ghee in it! (Laughs) And then you eat that with a bit of rice. Once that is done, that’s when the kadhi comes. I enjoy it, that’s… I can eat that quite a lot throughout a week, yeah. And from there on, depends what I want to do.

Host: Another thing I can notice is that you have tattoos. I feel like you are a tattoo-head?

Sumit Nagal: Yeah, a lot of, few tattoos. Yeah, I mean, I got my first tattoo when I turned 18, on the same day.

Host: Oh, you did? I got when I was 18!

Sumit Nagal: Yeah, my first tattoo was about my parents’ initials, very, you know… It’s here, somewhere here. And yeah, I’ve enjoyed it. Every one of them has a meaning towards it. I’m not a big fan of just putting random things on my body. And yeah, it’s part of my life.

Host: And how good is your Hindi?

Sumit Nagal: Achhi hai. Dilli wali hai! (Laughs) Kabhi kabhi… sabko maaloom hai Dilli wali Hindi kaisi hai.

Host: So there’s this one thing that what people say, that tennis is played as much on the mind as on the court. So is that something that you agree?

Sumit Nagal: Yeah. So remember earlier on I was saying that, you know, once you step on the court, you are on yourself, you know, you are on your own. You have, I mean now the coaching is allowed, but coaching is only allowed maybe 3 seconds or 5 seconds per, let’s say, per game or something like this, because you’re not going to ask your coach about everything. So you have to find solution on the court yourself.

There are going to be so many times that you’re not in a good mood, something is off, something is this. And those are the days which is so tough for you to fight through, because you are alone on the court. You have nobody to depend on. Everything is under your control or not, you have to figure a way out. And that’s why it’s so mentally tough that for so many days throughout the year, it’s you, you, you. Good or bad days—there are more bad days than good days in tennis, you know.

Host: You have informed us that you are currently India’s number one singles player. Do you prefer playing singles or do you prefer doubles as well?

Sumit Nagal: So as of now, singles. I’ve been playing singles for a very long time. Even though my first biggest tournament that I won was Wimbledon juniors in doubles…

Host: With a Vietnamese player?

Sumit Nagal: Exactly, Nam Hoang Ly. But as of now, I enjoy playing more singles, and that’s where my focus is.

Host: Okay, so so far we’ve had Sumit answering all these questions with the thought that is coming to his mind. Now we’ll take that thought away, cuz we are going to do a rapid fire, and let’s see what his answers come out to be. Who’s your favorite player amongst these: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, or Novak Djokovic?

Sumit Nagal: Djokovic.

Host: So, Grand Slam or Olympic medal?

Sumit Nagal: Ooh! That’s a very close one. (Laughs) I mean, I would say Grand Slam.

Host: Okay. You’ve answered this before, but I’ll ask you again: clay or hard court?

Sumit Nagal: Clay.

Host: Winning ugly or losing beautifully?

Sumit Nagal: Winning ugly, man, any day. Winning is winning.

Host: Morning practice or night match?

Sumit Nagal: Night.

Host: Fame or freedom?

Sumit Nagal: Freedom, man.

Host: Right now, do you feel free?

Sumit Nagal: Yeah, I think so. Yeah, I think freedom is being rich, I would say, you know.

Host: Right. Who’s that one athlete you’d love to have dinner with?

Sumit Nagal: I think I’ll go with Djokovic… No, sorry, Roger. I’ll go with Roger.

Host: Oh, you’ll go with Roger? How about we organize a dinner with both of them? (Laughs) Okay, what is that one rule in tennis that you’d like to change?

Sumit Nagal: Would be nice in tennis that you know what time you’re going to start the match, because for us, we don’t know the times, right?

Host: What is that one thing that India gets right about sport?

Sumit Nagal: Officials.