Australian Open 2025: Somdev Devvarman Backs Sumit Nagal to Upset Tomas Machac in First Round

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Indian tennis fans eagerly await Sumit Nagal's performance at the Australian Open 2025. Nagal, who impressed last year with a victory over Alexander Bublik, faces a formidable first-round challenge against 26th seed Tomas Machac.

Speaking in a roundtable interaction organised by Sony Sports Network, former Indian tennis star Somdev Devvarman weighed in on Nagal's chances, expressing cautious optimism while acknowledging the challenges ahead.

"Machac is a very, very tough draw," Somdev said. "While Sumit has had the season of his career in 2024, so has Machac -- getting to where he is, beating a few top players along the way, and being seeded at a major is not an easy thing to do. Machac has done that by playing consistently at a very high level."

However, Somdev noted that Nagal is also coming into the tournament with confidence and strong form. "Sumit's playing good tennis as well. He had a top 100 win already this year. He beat Mannarino. The first round of a major can always be a little tricky. Sometimes, who gets off to a hotter start does matter. But just looking at their game styles, I would say Machac is the slight favourite going into this one. But I wouldn't put it past Sumit to get an upset."

Somdev also praised Nagal's mindset and potential. "I think he has the game, he has the ability, he has the mindset. If Sumit Nagal plays to the best of his abilities, he's certainly got a chance to come up with another upset," he added.

Somdev also highlighted Sumit Nagal's recent progress. "He's come a really long way over the last 18 months or so, maybe two years. He's improved and learned from every situation. Those are the things that Sumit has been doing really well," Somdev said, adding that the match against Machac will be a good test of Nagal's abilities.

Discussing the pressures faced by Indian players on the global stage, Somdev offered insights based on his own experience. "In terms of added pressure, I'm sure there's a little bit, but it's nothing extraordinary. It's nothing that Sania [Mirza] didn't feel when she was playing, or I didn't feel when I was playing, or I'm sure Leander [Paes] and Mahesh [Bhupathi] felt as well. It's just part and parcel of where we are from. You take the good with the bad. I don't think that added pressure is necessarily a bad thing, and I do think that Sumit has been handling most of it pretty well."

Starting 12th January 2024, watch the first Grand Slam of the year, Australian Open 2025 on Sony Sports Ten 5 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 2 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 3 SD & HD (Hindi), Sony Sports Ten 4 SD & HD (English) as well as live-stream it on Sony LIV, 5:30 AM onwards. Somdev Devvarman will be part of the expert panel alongside Sania Mirza and Purav Raja, providing in-depth analysis and commentary throughout the tournament.