Rohan Bopanna requests to partner with Sriram Balaji for 2024 Paris Olympics

India’s top doubles tennis player Rohan Bopanna has requested the All India Tennis Association (AITA) to partner with N Sriram Balaji at the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics.

Both Bopanna and Balaji are currently playing at the 2024 French Open and the duo met in the third round, with their respective doubles partners. Bopanna and Matthew Ebden beat Balaji and his Mexican partner Miguel Reyes-Varela (2) 6-7, 6-3, 7-6 (8) in the third round of the men’s doubles at Roland Garros.

Balaji’s game from the baseline, combined with a strong serve, and excellent net play augurs well and compliments Bopanna’s style of play. Bopanna, ranked second in the world, can choose his doubles partner provided the player is ranked in the top-300 in the world. Balaji is currently ranked 84 in the world.

However, the AITA is waiting for the list to be released by the International Tennis Federation. The ITF will release a list of players eligible for participation at the Olympics after the latest rankings are updated on June 10.

The respective countries or the National Olympic Committees will then have one week’s time to send their entities for the Summer Games.

Along with Bopanna, Balaji and Yuki Bhambri, Sumit Nagal too could break into the top-300.

Yuki Bhambri could also be better suited to partner Bopanna, given that the Paris Olympics will be played on clay. Although Bhambri lost in the first round of the ongoing French Open, with partner Albano Olivetti, he has won an ATP 250 tournament in Germany and finished second best in another tournament in France.

According to reports, AITA will have a selection meeting and will then convey to Bopanna their decision. However, the selection committee could give Bopanna the partner he wants as this would be the last shot at an Olympic medal for the Indian veteran. Bopanna did not play at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 and in the previous Summer Games at Rio de Janeiro in 2016, Bopanna partnered with Sania Mirza in the mixed doubles and the pair lost in the bronze medal play-off match.