Rohan Bopanna and N Sriram Balaji sweat it out before Paris Olympics 2024
Rohan Bopanna and N Sriram Balaji have been putting in the hard yards before taking part in the Paris Olympics 2024. Bopanna has tasted most of his success with Australian partner Matthew Ebden in Grand Slams and other ATP events around the world. He would now want to weave magic with Balaji in the showpiece event in Paris.
Bopanna and Balaji recently played doubles at the German Open but failed to go beyond the opening round. Earlier, Bopanna had Yuki Bhambri and Balaji as the options to pick from as his partner for Paris and he zeroed in on Balaji. In an interview with PTI, Bopanna said that Balaji can be a dangerous customer to deal with on clay.
Bopanna also said that had the Olympics been played on grass, he would have gone with Bhambri as his partner. Bopanna will be looking to end India’s wait to win a medal in tennis in the Olympics as the country hasn't seen glory in the sport since 1996, when Leander Paes won bronze in Atlanta. Before the Olympics, Bopanna looked determined as he and Balaji have been working hard in their preparations.
Can Rohan Bopanna win an Olympic medal?
For Rohan Bopanna, 2024 has been nothing short of a fairytale. He became the oldest World No.1 when he was taking part in the Australian Open. He also became the oldest Grand Slam champion after he won the men’s doubles title at Rod Laver Arena after beating the Italian duo of Simone Boleli and Andrea Vavassori in the final.
After the victory, Bopanna met Honourable Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He was also awarded the prestigious Padma Shri award for his contributions to Indian tennis. Being in the top 10 of the ATP doubles ranking also meant that he booked a berth in Paris. At the age of 44, it can be said that Paris 2024 would be his last appearance in the Olympics.