January 16, Melbourne (Reuters) - India's top-ranked singles player, Sumit Nagal, was understandably happy on Tuesday after guaranteeing a huge payment at the Australian Open. At one time last year, he had less than $1,000 in his bank account.

After fighting his way through three qualifying rounds, the world number 137 defeated 31st seed Alexander Bublik 6-4 6-2 7-6(5) on a boisterous Court Six to secure a check for at least A$180,000 ($119,016) in the first round proper.

It was the greatest victory of his career, and he matched Ramesh Krishnan's 1989 Melbourne Park upset of defending champion Mats Wilander to become the first Indian man to defeat a seeded opponent in a Grand Slam singles draw in thirty-five years.

The 26-year-old told reporters, "Obviously, I'm not crying right now but at the same time it hasn't completely sunk in."

"Athletes will experience these moments. You may have a fantastic year or a horrible year at times.

"I think last year was one of the best years ever—from starting with only 900 euros, not being able to enter events for a few months, and depending solely on wild cards—to placing among the top 130.

"Given where I came from, I was quite pleased with myself for being able to come back, qualify, and go to the next round. It's a pleasant sensation.

Nagal, who was born in Haryana, aspired to play cricket like most kids in India, but his teacher father insisted that he use a racket instead of a bat and ball.

In his Grand Slam main draw debut at the 2019 U.S. Open, he famously overcame Roger Federer in the opening round before falling to Dominic Thiem, the eventual champion. The following year, he advanced to the second round.

The Indian, who trains in Germany, had a difficult time recovering from an injury that required hip surgery in 2021. However, he persevered and won two challenger championships in 2018 to move up into the top 150.

"I've worked very hard with my team and I'm proud of myself to be able to handle the things I'm going through and be able to perform the way I want to," Nagal stated.

The next round match between Nagal and Shang Juncheng of China will be watched closely by the two most populous countries in the world, but Nagal is not focusing too much on the match itself.

"I want to go through this moment, take my time, enjoy being with my coach and have a conversation," Nagal explained. "Maybe eat a burger and call it a night."