After arranging for a sustenance funds of ₹one crore that retains him happening the ATP Tour, India’s primary tennis participant Sumit Nagal is left with lower than ₹one lakh in his checking account and a morose feeling of not main an excellent life.

He has been coaching on the Nansel Tennis Academy in Germany for a couple of years however lack of funds meant that he couldn’t practice at his favorite place within the first three months of season 2023.

His mates Somdev Devvarman and Christopher Marcuis helped him keep in form in January and February earlier than he lastly managed to fund his keep in Germany.

The fund crunch is the story of most likely each Indian tennis participant however the truth that the nation’s primary singles participant is just not saving sufficient cash for himself and his household simply exposes the unhelpful system and the brutal Tour the place the gamers wage lonely battles.

To keep and play on the extravagant ATP Tour, Nagal has invested all his prize cash, his wage from IOCL and the help he will get from Maha Tennis Foundation.

The expenditure is expounded to his keep on the coaching centre in Peine and his journey for tournaments together with both his coach or a physio.

“If I look at my bank balance, I have what I had at the beginning of the year. It is 900 euros (approx ₹80,000). I did get a bit of help. Mr Prashant Sutar is helping me with MAHA Tennis Foundation and I also get monthly (salary) from IOCL but I don’t have any big sponsor,” Nagal informed PTI in an interview.

Nagal’s racquet, footwear and attire wants are being taken care of by Yonex and ASICS respectively.

This yr in 24 tournaments performed, Nagal has earned about 65 lakh along with his greatest pay cheque coming from the US Open the place he misplaced the primary spherical of the Qualifiers and nonetheless pocketed USD 22,000 (approx ₹18 lakh).

“I am investing whatever I am making. The yearly cost where I travel with one coach is costing me around 80 lakh to 1 crore and that is just with one travelling coach (no physio). Whatever I have made I have already invested.

“I really feel like I’m missing help regardless of being India’s primary participant for previous few years. I’m the one participant to qualify for Grand Slams, solely participant to win a (tennis) match on the Olympics (Tokyo) in previous few years, and nonetheless the federal government has not added my identify to the TOPS.

“I felt when my ranking dropped after injury, no one wanted to help me, no one really believed that I could be back. That was disappointing because I feel whatever I do is not enough. It’s so hard to find financial support in India. To be honest I do not know what to do, I have given up.”

The son of a major college instructor in Punjabi Bagh, Nagal fought off-court battles final yr when he underwent a hip surgical procedure and likewise contracted COVID a few occasions.

It was not stunning that he started to doubt if he’ll ever get again to tennis courts. Sitting and ready isn’t straightforward for an athlete.

“Rehab took six months, then coming back to play took another six months. I would say I took a year-and-a-half, just to feel okay.

“It was in mid-summer final yr once I began feeling higher. I misplaced a couple of matches I ought to have received, I misplaced matches from match-points or when serving for a match and once I was a set and a break up. I acquired COVID twice final yr, so I had lengthy, lengthy two years.

“I don’t have anything in savings. I am just breaking even. I can not say I live a very good life or where I say I don’t need to work. I did not earn anything in the last two years so I am happy that I am breaking even. At least I am not in minus where I have to leave academy and travel on my own.”

Nagal mentioned his coaches suggested him to save cash after which get again to Germany.

“I sat with Sasha Nansel (his coach) and Milos (his fitness trainer). They said you do a few things yourself and try to save as much money as possible in India and we start again in April again.

“I journey with one of many two, and that is simply the fundamental. I’m not saying I wish to keep at a 5 star lodge, nothing like that, that is simply the fundamental.”

A look at the ATP singles chart shows that Nagal is best-ranked Indian at 159. The next best is Sasikumar Mukund, way back at 407.

Out of action Prajnesh Gunneswaran is further behind at number 540 and is followed by Digvijay Pratap Singh (554) and Ramkumar Ramanathan (569).

Nagal rues that Indian singles players not just lack the financial support but also the guidance.

“We lack funding, we lack the system. If there’s a system, there shall be funding. China has cash. We have potential like China. Why can we win simply 5-6 medals in Olympics however China received 38 gold (in Tokyo).

“We are 1.4 billion, we can match them in talent but why we do not make it to high level? The guidance is missing. In tennis, we are far away from competing at top.

“I’m enhancing. I do really feel I’ve the sport. If my physique is nice and I’m taking part in tournaments, I really feel I’m prepared (for giant leap).”