Indian tennis player Rohan Bopanna is gearing up for a packed schedule ahead, with the Olympics looming in between two Grand Slam tournaments. Bopanna, fresh off a semi-final run at the French Open, has already selected N Sriram Balaji as his partner for the Olympics and conveyed this to the All India Tennis Association (AITA). However, he is currently awaiting confirmation from the federation.
As a top 10 doubles player in the world, Bopanna has the luxury of choosing his partner. Despite this, he remains cautious due to past experiences, such as being overruled in partner selection for the 2016 Rio Olympics. Bopanna plans to compete in a couple of tournaments with his chosen partner before the Olympics, including clay events in Hamburg and Umag, Croatia.
The 44-year-old athlete is prepared to add extra tournaments to his already busy schedule, which includes appearances at Queen’s, Wimbledon, and hard-court Masters events leading up to the US Open. Bopanna is motivated to give the Olympics another shot, especially after no men’s doubles team featured at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
Following a strong showing at the French Open, where he reached the semi-finals with partner Matt Ebden, Bopanna is feeling positive about returning to Paris for the Olympics. The duo has shown consistency in Grand Slam events, reaching four semi-finals in a row. Bopanna credits their success to effective communication and a shared goal of performing well at major tournaments.
