Virat Kohli Backed Sumit Nagal When He Had Only 6 Dollars, Read Heart-Touching Story

Indian tennis star Sumit Nagal, who ranks 139 in the world, on Tuesday stunned World 31-ranked Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik in the Australian Open. Nagal became the first tennis player to achieve this feat since 1989. Sumit Nagal won the first round by 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 against Kazakhstan's top seed. Fans would be surprised to know that Sumit Nagal's achievement would not have been possible without the support of Indian cricket star Virat Kohli.

Sumit Nagal told the Bombay Times how Virat Kohli's foundation supported him when he had only 6 dollars in his pocket. Nagal said, "Virat Kohli's foundation has been supporting me since 2017. I haven't been performing well for the last two years and was facing a financial crisis. If I didn't have Virat Kohli supporting me, I don't know what I would have done."

"Early this year (in 2019), when I was flying from Canada to Germany after a tournament, I had six dollars in my wallet... just six dollars after the help that I have been getting, so imagine what a mess I must have been before. But I survived, and things are getting better. If people fund athletes, it will only help the sport flourish in the country. I am fortunate to get that support from Virat," Nagal added.

With Tuesday's win, Nagal advanced to the Australian Open's second round. Earlier in 2021, Nagal exited the competition after Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis handed him a defeat by 2-6, 5-7, 3-6 in the first round of the world tournament played on acrylic hard courts.