It was well worth the wait. As the book began to close on the ATP Challenger Tour season, Sumit Nagal had one final chapter to write. The 20-year-old Indian captured his maiden Challenger crown on Saturday, prevailing in front of a raucous home crowd in Bengaluru. Nagal, the youngest player from his country in the Top 500 of the Emirates ATP Rankings, defeated fellow budding #NextGenATP Jay Clarke of Great Britain 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 in the final. With one day remaining in the 2017 Challenger season, Nagal claimed his moment of glory. Hailing from a nation of 1.3 billion people, pressure is an unavoidable part of life in the sporting-rich culture of India. But for Nagal, it was nonexistent as...
As players continue to rest and recharge following another exhilarating season, the focus is slowly shifting to 2018. The transition is underway, but there are still trophies to be won on the ATP Challenger Tour this week. The nation of India is making the most of its time in the spotlight. The country is rapidly rising in the pro tennis landscape and their national programme has been surging in the final weeks of the season. With a pair of Challengers gaining in popularity and the nation's ATP World Tour event finding a new home in January, enthusiasm for the game is growing. Last week, home hope Yuki Bhambri prevailed at the $50,000 event in Pune and the two-week swing concludes...
When Grigor Dimitrov lifted the trophy on Sunday at the Nitto ATP Finals, it marked the conclusion of the ATP World Tour season. But one week remains on the tennis calendar in 2017, with the ATP Challenger Tour finale featuring four tournaments on three continents. Critical Emirates ATP Rankings points are up for grabs, as players jockey for position to cement themselves in the year-end Top 100. In fact, six players are poised to battle for coveted Top 100 spots this week, as they hope to secure direct entry into ATP World Tour events in 2018. The eight-week South American swing concludes at the Rio Tennis Classic in Rio de Janeiro. Top seed Rogerio Dutra Silva eyes a title on...
