'If I didn't have Virat Kohli supporting me, I don't know what I would have done' - Sumit Nagal

Indian Tennis player Sumit Nagal etched his name in history books on Tuesday, January 16 as he became the first player from the nation to defeat a seeded player in the Australian Open since 1989. The 26-year-old registered the historic feat by beating Alexander Bublik from Kazakhstan in the opening round, winning the game by 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 as he further advanced to the second round.

Notably, Nagal has a special connection with the star India cricketer Virat Kohli who has been supported him since 2017. Following Nagal’s historic achievement, an old interview of him has resurfaced where he thanked the former India captain for supporting him when he was undergoing a financial crisis.

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"Virat Kohli's foundation has been supporting me since 2017. I haven't been performing well for the last two years and was facing a financial crisis. If I didn't have Virat Kohli supporting me, I don't know what I would have done," Nagal told Bombay Times.

Nagal further emphasized the importance of funding athletes in the country which will help the sport flourish and stated that he’s lucky to have that support from Kohli.

"Early this year (in 2019), when I was flying from Canada to Germany after a tournament, I had six dollars in my wallet... just six dollars after the help that I have been getting, so imagine what a mess I must have been before. But I survived, and things are getting better. If people fund athletes, it will only help the sport flourish in the country. I am fortunate to get that support from Virat," he further added.

Sumit Nagal had also reached the second round of US Open 2020

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Meanwhile, the victory against Alexander Bublik resulted in Nagal’s first-ever progression from the Australian Open first round. Back in 2021, he suffered a defeat against Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis in the opening round. The Haryana-born player is currently ranked 139 in the world. Nagal had also previously reached the second round of a Grand Slam event at the 2020 US Open but lost against second seed Dominic Thiem.