Class of 2020: Part 2 – Player Grant recipients
The Class of 2020 series recognises and celebrates players who have had a successful year progressing along the ITF player pathway, and beyond. The tennis calendar may have been disrupted due to the Covid-19 pandemic but that hasn’t stopped players making their mark and advancing their careers. The second of our five categories this week delves into the success of two players who have achieved milestones for themselves - and their nations - this year after receiving financial support from the Grand Slam Development Fund.
Mayar Sherif and Sumit Nagal are shining examples of why the Grand Slam Development Fund (GSDF) is such a valuable programme in helping talented tennis players realise their potential.
Both were awarded GSDF player grants for the 2020 season and both delivered instant returns, making their mark at the Grand Slams and delivering historic milestones for their nations.
Sherif became the first Egyptian woman to compete at a major at the re-scheduled Roland Garros in September, a month after Nagal had made history at the US Open by becoming the first Indian man to win a Grand Slam singles match since 2013.
Their achievements were a tip of the hat to the Grand Slam Development Fund’s faith in them as individuals. Perfect illustrations of what the initiative was set up to achieve.
The GSDF Committee recognises that players aren’t necessarily able to achieve their dreams on talent alone, targeting players of exceptional potential who need a helping hand. Their aim? To accelerate the development of professional tennis players and help them compete in Grand Slam tournaments.
Sherif, whose progression over the past two years has been lightning-quick, epitomises why such support is needed.
Nearly a decade ago she was a top-50 ranked junior, but despite receiving a $3,000 travel grant to play junior tournaments that included the Yucatan Cup, Eddie Herr and Orange Bowl, she couldn’t afford to play her way on to the tour. Instead, she opted to play college tennis in the US at Fresno State, and then Pepperdine. Emerging with a degree in sports medicine, Sherif then decided to give her professional tennis career a real shot.
She began 2019 unranked, but by the end of the year had collected six titles and put together over 70 match wins on the ITF World Tennis Tour. She could play, there was no doubting that. But how was she going to make the next step?
Then came a $12,500 player grant in 2020 to help with her competition-related costs. It was just the supporting steer she needed.
“Last year I was struggling financially to a point that I couldn’t pay for one plane ticket to travel,” said Sherif. “This GSDF fund for me was the world because it gave me the chance to arrive where I am now.”
Where she is now is on the cusp of the Top 100, thanks to some milestone results amidst the unlikeliest, and most disrupted, of years.
She won another ITF title on the eve of the sixth-month suspension of professional tennis in March, beating Dalma Galfi at W25 Antalya, before pitching up in Paris for Roland Garros. She qualified at a canter – seeing off Maria Camila Osorio Serrano, Caty McNally and Giulia Gatto-Monticone without dropping a set – to become the first Egyptian woman to occupy a spot in the main draw of a Grand Slam. Impressing on her debut, Sherif saved eight set points to pull up a one-set lead over second seed Karolina Pliskova, before finally falling 6-7(9) 6-2 6-4.
Buoyed by the taste of the big stage, Sherif underlined her desire to further accelerate her climb up the ranks by becoming the first Egyptian player to win a $100k-level title on the ITF World Tennis Tour at W100 Charleston. She closed the year with a run to the final at W25 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and ended with a career-high ranking of No. 128.
While Sherif’s rise has been relatively meteoric, Sumit Nagal’s path has been more of a steady incline, but he also achieved a major breakthrough on the big stage in 2020.
A top 30 junior five years ago, Nagal’s last act in junior tennis was to win the 2015 Wimbledon boys' doubles title with Nam Hoang Ly. He enjoyed success at ITF and Challenger level in the years that followed on the men’s circuit, collecting nine ITF titles and two Challenger crowns between 2015 and 2019, but, come 2020, he had his eye on a big-ticket win at the Grand Slams to fuel his drive towards the top 100.
He earned a $25,000 boost – along with 22 other players – thanks to the 2020 GSDF Grand Slam Player Grant Programme, and earned another dose of fortune at the US Open courtesy of his near-namesake Rafael Nadal, whose withdrawal due to concerns over Covid-19 subsequently handed Nagal a place in the main draw. It was a chance the 23-year-old grabbed with both hands.
Nagal defeated Bradley Klahn 6-1 6-3 3-6 6-1 in the opening round in New York to become the first Indian man to win a Grand Slam main draw match since Somdev Devvarman at the same venue seven years earlier.
“It felt great,” Nagal reflected of that achievement. “I was able to do something that took so many years for [a player from India] to do. I trained hard for that moment and went on to play Dominic Thiem (who went on to win the tournament) in the second round.
“I really hope this can help me, and Indian players in general, push for better results in future.”
Next stop for the New Delhi native? To get more matches under his belt at the highest level, and to improve on the career-high ranking of No. 122 he attained in August.
“I’m looking forward to competing in more tournaments and aim to break into the top 100 in the first quarter of the year,” he added.
Discover more about the Grand Slam Development Fund, and ITF funding initiatives to grow the game across the globe, here.