During a year marked by Sumit Nagal’s ascent up the rankings and successful qualification for Grand Slam main draws, coupled with his sustained fitness, his friend and part-time coach Somdev Devvarman believes Nagal may surpass him in a personal milestone.

“Rankings depend a lot on timing. A significant part is luck and avoiding injuries. I actually thought Sumit was poised to exceed my highest ranking this year, but after Monte Carlo (in April), he had to withdraw from a few events and faced some unfortunate setbacks,” Devvarman told The Indian Express last month.

Following two impressive weeks on the clay courts of Germany and Italy, Nagal is now within striking distance of achieving that milestone.

On Monday, the 27-year-old surged six spots in the ATP world rankings to achieve a career-high No. 71, placing him as the joint fourth-highest-ranked Indian man since rankings were established in 1973. He surpassed Leander Paes and Anand Amritraj, and now shares the same career-high position as Sashi Menon, who achieved this ranking in 1975. Although surpassing Ramesh Krishnan (career-high 23) and Vijay Amritraj (career-high 18) may be challenging, Devvarman’s career-high of 62 remains well within Nagal’s reach.

After a first-round defeat at the French Open, Sumit Nagal, known for his proficiency on clay courts, regrouped and embarked on a successful streak at the Challenger level. He secured victory in the 100-point event in Heilbronn, Germany, and reached the final of the 125 Challenger in Perugia, Italy, where he narrowly missed clinching the title.

The timing of Sumit Nagal’s winning streak couldn’t have been more opportune for Olympic qualification. His victory in Heilbronn propelled him to World No. 77, just in time for the cutoff for the Paris Games. The tennis competition at the Olympics will be held on his preferred surface at Roland Garros. While his participation is not yet confirmed, his chances of qualifying are promising. The main draw in Paris accommodates the top 56 ranked players, with a maximum of four from each country eligible. Given the proximity of the Olympics to Wimbledon, there are expected withdrawals as players adjust from grass to clay surfaces within a short period.

While Sumit Nagal’s achievements may appear modest on a global scale at first glance, his consistent ability to deliver positive results bodes well for his ongoing solitary campaign in Indian tennis (with the next highest-ranked Indian being Ankita Raina, World No. 269 on the women’s tour).

Just last year, Sumit Nagal spoke about financial difficulties, and less than two years ago, he was ranked outside the top 500. However, maintaining fitness and capitalizing on momentum has propelled him to significant achievements this year, including winning two Challenger titles and making appearances in a final and a semi-final.

To advance further in his career, Nagal must now demonstrate consistency at a higher level, which entails securing victories against opponents ranked substantially higher than him.

He made headlines by defeating World No. 17 Alexander Bublik at the Australian Open, becoming the first Indian in 34 years to defeat a seeded player at a Grand Slam. Additionally, at Monte Carlo, he came close to defeating World No. 15 Holger Rune in a match affected by rain and played over two days. However, such notable victories have been sporadic.

Despite Sumit Nagal’s impressive nine-match winning streak at recent clay Challenger events, his performance above the Challenger level this year has been less successful, with a win-loss record of 3-7. During his streak, Nagal did not defeat any higher-ranked players and suffered a defeat to Luciano Darderi of Italy in Perugia on Sunday, marking the end of his streak.

The big stage awaits Sumit Nagal at Wimbledon later this month and potentially the Olympics, marking what has already been a career-best season for the Jhajjar native. Now, after striving for consistency, Nagal must seize this opportunity and make it count.