Sumit Nagal beats World No. 38 Matteo Arnaldi, becomes first-ever Indian to win Masters 1000 match on clay

Indian star tennis player Sumit Nagal is rewriting history for India in the Monte Carlo Masters event as he outclassed World No. 38 Matteo Arnaldi in a challenging three-set contest to achieve his maiden main draw win at an ATP Masters event on April 8. The 26-year-old Nagal scripted history as he became the first Indian singles player to record a main draw win at an ATP Masters 1000 match on clay since the series began in 1990.

Nagal, who made his debut in the main draw of an ATP Masters 100 event through the qualifying rounds. Taking on his Italian opponent in the Monte Carlo Masters openers, Nagal displayed remarkable resilience as he bounced back after losing the first set. He staged an impressive comeback by winning the next two sets. His 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 win over Arnaldi was his maiden win in the ATP Masters event.

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Notably, this is Nagal’s third win over a top-50 player and the second time in the ongoing season. He had slumped the then-world number 27 Alexander Bublik in consecutive sets at the Australian Open in Melbourne at the beginning of the 2024 season. With this, he also thrashed World No. 22 Chilean Cristian Garin at the Argentina Open in March 2021.  

Now, Nagal will take on World No.7 Holger Rune from Denmark in his next clash.

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Nagal to earn career-high rank of 80

Following his victory over Arnaldi at Monte Carlo, Nagal is poised to reach a career-high ranking of 80 in the ATP standings. Despite currently holding the 95th spot globally, Nagal's recent performance promises a significant leap in his ranking. His journey through the tennis circuit has seen him qualify for prestigious events like the Indian Wells Masters in March. However, Nagal suffered a first-round exit at the hands of Milos Raonic in the BNP Paribas Open. 

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