Tokyo Olympics 2020: Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan miss out on men's doubles berth
India's Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan have missed the cut-off for the men's doubles event at the Tokyo Olympics, as per the official entry list released by the International Tennis Federation on Thursday.
With no entry in the men's doubles event, India will now only be represented in the women's doubles event in Tokyo by Sania Mirza and Ankita Raina.
Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan played at Wimbledon on Friday. The duo were defeated in the first-round at the All England Club by 11th seeds Edouard Roger-Vasselin/Henri Kontinen.
The tennis event at the Tokyo Olympics will be held at the Ariake Tennis Park and is scheduled to take place from July 24 until August 1. The Paralympic Tennis Event will follow at the same venue from August 27 to September 4.
Those on the official entry list for the Tokyo Olympics include World No. 1's Novak Djokovic and Ashleigh Barty, 20-time Major winner Roger Federer, two-time Olympic gold medallist Andy Murray, and home favorites Naomi Osaka and Kei Nishikori.
Rafael Nadal, Dominic Thiem, Simona Halep, Sofia Kenin, and Serena and Venus Williams are among the notable names who are not on the entry list.
Without Rohan Bopanna or Divij Sharan, India's hopes of a berth in mixed doubles also dashed at the Tokyo Olympics
With no Indians making the cut for the men's singles and men's doubles events at the Tokyo Olympics, India will not be able to field a team in the mixed doubles event in Tokyo either.
As per the rules, only players from the same country on-site will be able to sign up for the mixed doubles event at the Tokyo Olympics. Indian sports enthusiasts had been hoping that Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna would combine to make a formidable pairing in the mixed event.
Rohan Bopanna and Mirza, who are playing in the mixed doubles event at Wimbledon 2021, reached the semi-finals at the London Olympics. The pair were defeated in the bronze medal play-off match by the Czech duo of Radek Stepanek and Lucie Hradecka.
India has claimed one tennis medal at the Olympic Games, with Leander Paes winning the singles bronze medal at the 1996 Atlanta Games.