India’s Nagal Summit (PTI photo) Bengaluru: Injuries are an inevitable part of an athlete’s journey and often test not only the body but also the mind. Even after a full physical recovery, questions about fitness and self-esteem may persist. Sumit Nagal is going through a similar phase after suffering a minor hip tear at the ATP Challenger 75 event in Thailand last month.The injury came at an inopportune time for the Indian number one as the Davis Cup Qualifiers 1st round tie against the Netherlands began at the SM Krishna Tennis Stadium here on Saturday. After a solid rehabilitation process, the 28-year-old gradually increased the intensity of his training, which was seen over the last three days on the Cubbon Park courts. On Thursday, the Haryana player took part in practice matches against teammate Dhakshineswar Suresh, followed by Sidharth Rawat, before completing a short doubles match.Nagal looked comfortable throughout the session, which lasted over two hours. The training session was his way of testing his fitness ahead of a crucial match against a formidable Dutch side led by world No. 88 Jesper de Jong.“I haven’t played a match since Bangkok, so we are trying to push for training. Tomorrow (Friday) will be the next step — try to play as many sets as possible to see how my body reacts. That’s why you play practice matches. Today was a very good day for me. Everything was fine and I’m looking forward to playing for India,” said Nagal, whose on-court no-hitting brought captain Royitpalh to the field.Asked if he was ready to go full throttle, Nagal added, “Yes, when I step on the court, I can’t think 80 or 90 percent. I have to go as hard as I can.”Since the injury, Nagal has spent considerable time working with physio Yash Pandey to get into match shape for the Davis Cup. He is currently ranked 281st on the ATP Tour and has been trying to reach peak fitness, although the last few weeks have been mentally and physically demanding.“Take it day by day. Every morning you don’t know if you’re going to hurt or how you’re going to feel or how much you’re going to carry. Those thoughts were there for three weeks after the injury — even yesterday, even today. Is it going to be OK or not? The fear is always there when you come back from an injury,” he said.Nagal, who began his pre-season training in the city in December, spent most of his time on the hard courts. Alongside Suresh, he has appeared in the World Tennis League and the Bengaluru Open in the last two months. The Indian ace, who reached a career-high ATP ranking of 68 in July 2024, also supported the decision to hold the play-off in Bengaluru.“De Jong and Guy den Ouden are both very good clay players. They have done very well on clay so I think choosing Bengaluru was a good decision,” Nagal said.
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