Bengaluru: Injuries are an inevitable part of an athlete’s journey, often testing not just the body but the mind as well. Even after the physical recovery is complete, questions about fitness and confidence can linger. Sumit Nagal is navigating a similar phase after sustaining a minor hip tear at the ATP Challenger 75 event in Thailand last month.The injury came at an inopportune time for the India No. 1, with the Davis Cup Qualifiers Round 1 tie against the Netherlands set to begin at the SM Krishna Tennis Stadium here on Saturday. Following a solid rehabilitation process, the 28-year-old has gradually increased the intensity of his training, which was visible over the past three days at the Cubbon Park courts. On Thursday, the Haryana player took part in practice matches against teammate Dhakshineswar Suresh, followed by Sidharth Rawat, before wrapping up with a short doubles session.Nagal looked comfortable throughout the session, which lasted over two hours. The practice session was his way of testing his fitness levels ahead of the crucial tie against the formidable Dutch team, led by World No. 88 Jesper de Jong.“I haven’t played a match since Bangkok, so we’re trying to push in practice. Tomorrow (Friday) will be another step — try and play as many sets as possible to see how my body reacts. That’s why you play practice matches. It was a very good day for me today. Everything felt good, and I’m looking forward to playing for India,” said Nagal, whose groundstrokes brought cheer to non-playing captain Rohit Rajpal, who was at courtside.When asked if he was ready to go full throttle, Nagal added: “Yes, if I step on the court, I can’t think 80 or 90 percent. I have to go as hard as possible.”Since the injury, Nagal has spent considerable time working with physio Yash Pandey to get himself match fit for the Davis Cup challenge. Currently ranked 281 on the ATP Tour, he has been pushing himself to reach peak fitness, though the past few weeks have been mentally and physically demanding.“You take it day by day. Every morning, you don’t know if you’re going to feel sore, how you’re feeling, or how much load you can take. Those thoughts were there throughout the three weeks after the injury — even yesterday, even today. Is it going to be okay or not? The fear is always there when you’re coming back from an injury,” he said.Nagal, who began his pre-season training in the city in December, has spent most of his time on the hard courts here. Alongside Suresh, he featured in the World Tennis League and the Bengaluru Open in the last two months. The Indian ace, who achieved a career-high ATP ranking of 68 in July 2024, also backed the decision to host the tie in Bengaluru.“De Jong and Guy den Ouden are both very good clay court players. They’ve done extremely well on clay, so I think choosing Bengaluru was a good decision,” Nagal said.
