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3 Years After Pushing Roger Federer to the Edge, 26YO ATP Player’s Saddening Reality Leaves Novak Djokovic’s Friend in Shambles

Published 09/22/2023, 12:05 AM EDT

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via Reuters

To the millions of fans watching and idolizing their favorite athletes, professional sports may seem like a world full of glitz, glamor, wealth, and limelight. However, there are times when the reality is very, very different. A shocking and rather unfortunate news has come to the fore involving Indian ATP player Sumit Nagal, who is known for his impressive performance against Roger Federer at the 2019 US Open.

In a recent revelation, Nagal has weighed in on his financial struggles despite being a professional ATP player for a long. This has caught the attention of ATP star Vasek Pospisil, a close friend of Novak Djokovic.

Vasek Pospisil expresses shock after Sumit Nagal’s honest admission

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World number 159 and India’s top-ranked singles player Sumit Nagal has shockingly revealed that he is currently not able to sustain a proper livelihood despite his stature as a professional tennis player. With just around $960 in his bank balance and a lack of financial support from concerned authorities, he is struggling to save up for his future and is just ‘breaking even’. Nagal also pointed out that the absence of sponsorship and lack of proper funding has a major role to play in the condition he is in right now.

Canadian ATP star Vasek Pospisil, who happens to be a close friend of Novak Djokovic, took to X (formerly Twitter) to share his thoughts regarding the situation. “Tennis. The multi-billion dollar industry where most player’s can’t make a living. 3rd most watched sport, 2nd most bet on”, he wrote, addressing Sumit Nagal’s revelation.

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This isn’t the first time, however, that Nagal has opened up on the dearth of proper support that should have been provided to him. More so after his spirited performance against the legendary Roger Federer at the US Open in 2019.

Retired Roger Federer Gets Boxed as Rival Novak Djokovic’s Tennis Superiority Unveiled in a Critical Revelation by Former Serena Williams’ Coach

Nagal’s impressive US Open performance against Roger Federer

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Sumit Nagal made a name for himself by qualifying for the US Open main draw for the first time in 2019. In the very first round, he encountered the mighty challenge of facing the Swiss maestro Roger Federer.

Although Nagal ended up losing the match, he didn’t go down without a fight. He became the first Indian to take a set off Federer as he went down 6-4, 1-6, 2-6, 4-6. This also made him only the 4th player in US Open history to win the opening set against Roger Federer.

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It is imperative that concerned authorities intervene and provide the required support and infrastructure to talented players like Sumit Nagal. Do you agree with Vasek Pospisil’s assessment of the situation? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by:

Prithviraj Roy

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Prithviraj Roy is a tennis writer at EssentiallySports. With an academic background in Journalism & Mass Communication from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), he has more than 2 years of experience as a Content Writer. Prithviraj has been a die-hard fan of the 'King of Clay' Rafael Nadal since his childhood years.
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Edited by:

Bhavani Singh