4 Indians competing at Wimbledon 2024 ft. Rohan Bopanna and Sumit Nagal
Wimbledon 2024, tennis’ prestigious grasscourt Grand Slam tournament, is set to be held from July 1 to 14 at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in London. India’s history at Wimbledon goes way back to the year 1908 when Sirdar Nihal Singh became the first Indian to compete at the Grand Slam tournament. Then, in 1929, Jenny Sandison followed him to become the first Indian woman to achieve the feat.
However, India’s first title at Wimbledon came in 1999 courtesy of the iconic duo of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi in men’s doubles. Meanwhile, the first women’s title for India came in 2015 when Sania Mirza and her partner Martina Hingis from Switzerland clinched the women’s doubles trophy.
Now, here we are in 2024, and India has four representations at Wimbledon 2024. It will be the perfect stage for the Indians as they prepare for the Paris Olympics 2024, starting on July 26.
List of Indians competing at Wimbledon 2024
#4 Rohan Bopanna
The seasoned Rohan Bopanna is set to compete in Wimbledon’s main draw for the 14th time, still in search of his first title on the hallowed lawns. Bopanna won his first Major title in mixed doubles at the French Open in 2017.
Earlier this year, he and his men’s doubles partner, Matthew Ebden from Australia, clinched the Australian Open title. The pair will team up again at Wimbledon, hoping to go beyond their semifinal finish last year.
#3 Sumit Nagal
India’s top-ranked men’s singles player, Sumit Nagal, will be making his debut appearance in Wimbledon’s main draw. Nagal will be a part of two events in Wimbledon 2024 - the men’s singles and men’s doubles, where he is paired up with Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic.
He has been in good form of late, having qualified for the Paris Olympics 2024 after winning the ATP Challenger title in Heilbronn, Germany, earlier this month. Nagal also became the first Indian in five years to qualify for men’s singles in Wimbledon.
#2 Sriram Balaji
Sriram Balaji will be appearing in his second Wimbledon main-draw event after bowing out in the second round in 2018 when he was partnered with Vishnu Vardhan. Balaji was expected to be paired up with Rohan Bopanna as they’ll be competing together at the Paris Olympics 2024. However, he’ll be a part of men’s doubles at Wimbledon 2024 alongside local player Luke Johnson.
Balaji reached the third round of the French Open and the second round of the Australian Open in doubles earlier this year. He’ll aim to better the performances this time.
#1 Yuki Bhambri
Even for Yuki Bhambri, this will be a second appearance in the Wimbledon main draw. He was a part of men’s singles in 2018, losing to Thomas Fabiano in the first round. Yuki is partnered with Albano Olivetti of France at Wimbledon 2024 in men’s doubles in an attempt to leave a mark in the event.