Rohan Bopanna, India’s top doubles player, is set to make a crucial decision that will impact India’s performance in the upcoming Paris Olympics 2024. Bopanna, who is currently ranked fourth in the world, has the privilege of choosing his partner for the men’s doubles event at the Paris Games.
Rohan Bopanna’s choices for the Paris Olympics
The 44-year-old tennis star has narrowed down his choices to N Sriram Balaji and Yuki Bhambri. Both Balaji and Bhambri have shown promising results on clay, which is the surface for the Roland Garros, where the tennis events of the Summer Olympics will take place from July 27.
Balaji recently won the Cagliari Challenger event with German partner Andre Begemann and reached the semifinals at Francavilla al Mare in Italy. Bhambri, on the other hand, won the ATP 250 event in Munich with French player Albano Olivetti in April and reached the semifinals of the Bordeaux Challenger.
The All India Tennis Association (AITA) is likely to approve Bopanna’s choice, although the final decision will be discussed by the selection committee. The men’s doubles draw at the Paris Games will be a 32-team affair, where one nation can have a maximum of two teams.
The qualification criteria give top-10 players the privilege to pick their partners, who should be inside the top 300 on the ATP and WTA ranking charts. The rankings of June 10, after the conclusion of the French Open, will be considered for qualifications.
Bopanna’s decision is eagerly awaited as it will not only shape India’s representation in the men’s doubles event at the Paris Olympics but also set the stage for a potentially exciting and competitive tournament.
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