The All India Tennis Association (AITA) has accepted Rohan Bopanna’s request to have N Sriram Balaji as his men’s doubles partner at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Bopanna, who’d won the Australian Open in January and is currently the 4th-ranked player in men’s doubles tennis, had decided to pick Balaji as his partner after seeing him advance to the third round at the French Open.
Bopanna picks Balaji over Bhambri
It was a tough pick for Bopanna, as Balaji is ranked 67th in the world at the moment, while Yuki Bhambri is 54th and has a better record this season. But, following his success on clay, especially at the French Open, where Bopanna himself knocked Balaji out in the third round, he decided to pick him over Bhambri, who’d exited in the first round.
After winning his first-round match at the French Open, Balaji expressed his desire to play alongside Rohan Bopanna at the Paris 2024 Olympics. He’d said, “It’s all up to Bops [Bopanna]. If he selects me, I will be happy. If not, I’m okay also. I do have a little bit of expectations, but it’s up to him.”