Wimbledon 2024: How much prize money did N Sriram Balaji get despite losing in the first round of men's doubles?
Indian tennis player N Sriram Balaji’s journey at Wimbledon 2024 in London, England, came to a quick end. Balaji, who paired up with British Luke Johnson in the men’s doubles category, suffered a 6-4, 7-5 opening-round defeat against Croatian Mate Pavic and El Salvador’s Marcelo Arevalo.
This was Sriram Balaji’s second appearance in the Wimbledon main-draw event after a second-round finish in 2018 in men’s doubles with another Indian, Vishnu Vardhan.
The 34-year-old entered the tournament this year with a lot of hopes but lost to the reigning French Open champions, Arevalo and Pavic, bringing an end to his campaign at the grasscourt Grand Slam competition.
However, there is always light at the end of the tunnel, as Balaji won’t go back empty-handed. As per Wimbledon 2024, a pair that bows out in the first round of men’s/women’s doubles will get a combined prize money of £15,750 (approximately INR 16,80,180).
Thus, Balaji will get £7,875 (approximately INR 8,40,090) for his participation until the first round at Wimbledon 2024.
Sriram Balaji to partner with Rohan Bopanna at Paris Olympics 2024
After a first-round exit at Wimbledon 2024, Sriram Balaji will aim to shift his focus to Paris Olympics 2024, where he will be paired with Indian veteran Rohan Bopanna.
The duo have been sanctioned to feature at the ATP 500 event in Hamburg and the ATP 250 event in Umag on clay to prepare for the courts in Roland Garros in Paris. These events will be right before the Summer Olympics 2024 where the tennis events are slated to be held from July 27 to August 4.
The other Indian to feature at the Paris Olympics 2024 is Sumit Nagal, who’ll be the sole representative in the singles category from India. India has won just one medal at the Olympics in tennis, which came way back at the Atlanta 1996 Games courtesy of Leander Paes' bronze medal in men’s singles.