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After arranging a budget of Rs 1 crore to play on the ATP tour, India’s number one tennis player Sumit Nagal now has less than Rs 1 lakh left in his bank account and is saddened by not being able to live a good life. He had been practicing at the Nansel Tennis Academy in Germany for the past few years, but was unable to practice at his favorite venue for the first three months of the 2023 season due to lack of funds. His friends Somdev Devvarman and Christopher Marquis helped him in January and February.
Struggling with financial problems is probably the story of every Indian tennis player, but the fact that the country’s number one singles player cannot raise enough money for himself and his family shows the inefficient system and struggles associated with the ATP Tour. Where the player to fight his own battle. Nagle has spent all his prize money, his salary from IOCL and support from the Maha Tennis Foundation to play on the ATP Tour. Their expenses cover their stay at the practice center in Pine and travel to tournaments with their coach or physio.
Nagal told PTI, “If I talk about the amount deposited in my bank, I have the same amount as at the beginning of the year. It is 900 Euros (roughly Rs. 80000). I also got some help. Prashant Sutar of Maha Tennis Foundation is helping me and I also get monthly (salary) from IOCL, but I don’t have any big sponsor.
Nagal participated in 24 tournaments this year, from which he earned an estimated Rs 65 lakh. His biggest prize money came from the US Open where he lost in the first round of the qualifiers, but still received US$22000 (Rs. 18 lakh approx). He said, “I spend what I earn. My annual expenditure is around Rs. 80 lakh to Rs. 1 crore is upto and this happens even when I am traveling with only one coach. I spent everything I earned.”
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Nagal said, “I feel that despite being India’s number one player for the past few years, I am not getting enough support. I am the only Indian player to qualify for a Grand Slam and I even won a match at the Olympics last year, though the government has not included me in the TOPS.
He said, “I think nobody saw fit to help me when my ranking went down due to injury. No one believed that I would be able to make a comeback. It’s frustrating, because I feel like whatever I do isn’t enough. It is very difficult to get financial aid in India. Honestly, I don’t know what to do. I have given up.”
Nagal, the son of a primary school teacher in Punjabi Bagh, also faced off-court problems last year. He underwent an operation on his hip and also contracted Kovid-19 twice. “I have nothing in the name of savings and I’m broke,” Nagle said. I can’t say that I live a very good life where I don’t have to work. I haven’t earned much in the last two years.” Nagal is ranked 159 in the ATP singles rankings, the highest among Indians. He is followed by Shashi Kumar Mukund, who has a world ranking of 407.