Rohan Bopanna and N Sriram Balaji are set to represent India in the men's doubles tennis at the Paris 2024 Olympics, as announced by the All India Tennis Association (AITA) on Thursday, June 13. The coaching team accompanying them will include Balachandran Manikkath as the coach and Rebecca Van Orshaegen as the physiotherapist. The event will see participation from 32 teams. The first quotas were awarded to the top 10 players in the doubles rankings, provided they chose partners ranked within the top 300 by the close of the qualification period on Monday.
Rohan Bopanna, N Sriram Balaji pair to shine in Paris Olympics
Rohan Bopanna, currently ranked No. 4 in the world and a consistent top 10 player in doubles since November of last year, earned India's spot without difficulty.
While Bopanna had several potential partners from India for the Paris Games, he selected the world No. 67 Sriram Balaji, who will be making his first Olympic appearance.
On Thursday, the All India Tennis Association (AITA) confirmed through an official statement that Rohan Bopanna and N Sriram Balaji will represent India in the men's doubles tennis at the Olympics. They will be joined by coach Balachandran Manikkath and physiotherapist Rebecca V. Orshaegen. The men's doubles event represents India's strongest opportunity to secure a tennis medal at the Olympics.
"We are proud to announce that Rohan Bopanna and N. Sriram Balaji have qualified for the Paris Olympics 2024! With Coach Mr. Balachandran Manikkath and Physio Ms. Rebecca V. Orshaegen by their side, we're ready to make a mark on the world stage," AITA wrote on Twitter.
The 44-year-old Bopanna, who first competed in the Olympics at London 2012, will be participating in his third Summer Games. During the 2012 London Olympics, Bopanna teamed up with Mahesh Bhupathi in the men’s doubles and advanced to the second round.
At the French Open 2024, Rohan Bopanna and his Australian teammate Matthew Ebden overcame N Sriram Balaji and Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela in a closely contested three-set match, advancing to the quarter-finals. The match, which took place on Court 7 on Monday, June 3, ended with scores of 6-7 (2-7), 6-3, 7-6 (10-8) after 2 hours and 20 minutes.
Despite being the clear favorites, Bopanna and Ebden faced significant challenges from Balaji and Reyes-Varela, who remained competitive throughout the match. Ultimately, the Indo-Australian pair leveraged their extensive experience to secure a hard-fought victory.
MORE ON SPORTS TAK:
WATCH - Anushka Sharma involved in heated argument during India vs Pakistan T20 World Cup 2024 clash
