Rohan Bopanna and N Sriram Balaji will be selected from the Indian team for the men's doubles at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the All India Tennis Association (AITA) announced on Thursday (June 13). Bopanna, who is currently ranked No. 4 in the world, was allowed to choose his pair and the 44-year-old chose Sriram Balaji, who is currently ranked No. 67 in the world.
The same was confirmed by the AITA in an official press release, which also confirmed that the two will be accompanied by coach Balachandran Manikkath and physiotherapist Rebecca V. Orshaegen. It is important to note that India's best chance of winning a tennis medal is in the men's doubles.
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“We are proud to announce that Rohan Bopanna and N. Sriram Balaji have qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games! With coach Mr. Balachandran Manikkath and physiotherapist Ms. Rebecca V. Orshaegen by their side, we are ready to make an impact on the world stage,” AITA wrote on Twitter.
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Bopanna will face Balaji in the doubles at the 2024 French Open
Bopanna and Balaji faced each other at the 2024 French Open. While Bopanna played with Australian Matthew Ebden, Balaji played with Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela at the 2024 Roland Garros. On that occasion, Bopanna had the last laugh, overtaking his opposing duo 6-7 (2-7), 6-3, 7-6 (10-8) in a match that lasted 2 hours and 30 minutes.
