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In an interview as quoted by ESPN the Indian player Sumit Nagal spoke about how his popularity got bigger since when he lost to Roger Federer in a four-set US Open first round match. Nagal said: "It's just everything that I've been trying to do for the past one year, slowly adding up now.
It's nice when people stop to tell you that you put up a good fight against Federer. You then realize that even if things don't look up right away always, eventually, they do come around." Nagal won the Buenos Aires Challenger title although nobody helped him that week: "I was alone in Buenos Aires because I couldn't afford to have my coach or trainer accompanying me.
It's an expensive sport and sustaining yourself on the circuit as a singles player isn't easy. Unless you're entirely funded, you're always counting the cost. Hotels tariffs can fall anywhere between $50-$150 a night, and to be able to foot charges for yourself and your coaches then for a week exceeds the budget." I was outside the top 300, so they may have been right to believe that I didn't stand a chance to make it to the 2020 Olympics.
I can't complain. But I have performances over the past few months now, so hopefully, someone, somewhere is taking note. I'm trying to find a way to be smart about it. I'll work with what I have. And the only thing I have is a racket."