Seoul, Sep 17 (PTI) India’s top-ranked singles player Sumit Nagal has endured an injury-hit and frustrating 2026 season but says he has learned to stop “playing the victim” and is now focused on enjoying his tennis and competing without the burden of constantly chasing results.
Nagal, who is now ranked 247 after dropping out of top-100 in January 2025, began the year carrying a hip injury sustained while playing a Challenger in Thailand before the Davis Cup tie against Netherlands in February, and admitted that his desire to represent India forced him to return to action earlier than he otherwise would have.
“I started the year with an injury, then played Davis Cup (in Bengaluru). I was always running behind time. I came in early to play because it was Davis Cup and Team India,” Nagal told PTI in an interview ahead of the Qualifier Round 2 tie against Korea.
“If it wasn’t for the Davis Cup, I would have taken the whole month off.” “I was in a position where I wasn’t healthy, but I was playing. And then March, again, I started feeling something in my wrist. So I didn’t feel good till I would say May.” Nagal, who won a Challenger in Romania and reached another semifinal in Czechia this season, feels his tennis has improved over the last couple of months.
“The last two, three months have been better comparing to the first half of the year. And now I just have to build on it,” he said.
His US Open qualifying campaign ended in the opening round against Frenchman Arthur Gea in a closely fought contest, but Nagal believes the result offered evidence that his level is still there.
“My last match in the US Open was a little bit unfortunate. I had a few break points and the guy ended up making the fourth round. So I feel like it’s there, it’s just I need to work hard for it to go in my favour,” he said.
He had lost 3-6 6-7(4) to Gea.
Nagal said the prolonged cycle of playing and recovering had also taken a mental toll, but he has now chosen to change his outlook.
“It’s not so fun, because when you play for two months and then you’re out for two months and you play for two months, I don’t think it’s so much fun. But I’m done playing the victim. I take it as what it is, how it is, and I try to enjoy every day.
The biggest change, according to Nagal, has been mental rather than technical.
Just before the US Open, he realised he needed to stop obsessing over winning every match.
“I realised that I need to be more happy. Very simple, actually. And not focus too much about winning, winning, winning, winning. Because I was doing that and it wasn’t really working for me.” A defeat in Prague Challenger last month, just before the US Open, proved to be a turning point. He had lost 3-6 5-7 to local player Jan Kumsat.
“I lost a match in Prague and I was driving back. And that’s when I realised, I said, man, like this is just not fun. I’m not going to survive like this if I keep putting pressure on myself that every match I step on, I need to win, win, win,” Nagal said.
“I was just burning too much energy throughout the match and throughout the days.” Return to top-100 will happen when it has to happen ===================================== For now, he has set aside thoughts of returning to the top-100 and is concentrating on competing week after week.
“You always want to play the Slams. You want to be top 50, top 30. But I wouldn’t say that’s my focus right now. The focus right now is to compete, man,” he said.
Nagal was left frustrated earlier in the season when he repeatedly failed to sustain his level for an entire match.
“For a lot of weeks, I was playing two good sets and not the third set. That’s very basic. Or I was playing one good set and not a good second set because I was just playing the victim thing and saying, ‘Oh, this is not working for myself. This is not working. This is against me. Everything was against me’,” he said.
“And like this, whatever, you can have any goals. But like this, you’re not going to reach anywhere.” Nagal also spoke about his role within the Indian team, saying he is willing to guide younger players but does not want to impose himself as a leader.
“I’m always open for them. I guide them if something is needed. But also, I don’t want to be in there, let’s say, as a leadership role when it’s not asked,” he said.
“At the end of the day, it’s still a team sport. It shouldn’t be one guy leading the team. Of course, my help is there. I’ve always said it. I always want Indian tennis to do well. Never a question.” PTI APS APS APA APA
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