News Mania Desk/ Agnibeena Ghosh/5th July 2024
India’s representation in tennis at the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games has been confirmed with Sumit Nagal in men’s singles and the duo of Rohan Bopanna and Sriram Balaji in men’s doubles, as announced by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) during Wimbledon.
Rohan Bopanna, at 44 years old, will mark his third Olympic appearance after overcoming injury setbacks that prevented him from competing in Tokyo 2020. His participation makes him not only the oldest tennis player at Paris 2024 but also the oldest male tennis player since the sport’s reintroduction to the Olympics in Seoul 1988. Bopanna’s age-defying journey surpasses the records set by Daniel Nestor and Leander Paes at Rio 2016, highlighting his enduring prowess in the sport.
In contrast, 24-year-old Sumit Nagal will make his second consecutive Olympic appearance, having previously represented India at Tokyo 2020, where he reached the second round before bowing out to Daniil Medvedev.
The Olympic Tennis Event at Paris 2024 will feature players from 41 nations, totaling 184 participants across five categories: men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. Notably, Lebanon will debut with Benjamin Hassan, a 29-year-old tennis professional born in Germany and currently ranked at his ATP career-high of No.143 as of June 2024.
The men’s and women’s singles competitions will showcase top-ranked players such as Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, and Elena Rybakina. Defending champions like Alexander Zverev and doubles teams Nikola Mektic/Mate Pavic and Barbora Krejcikova/Katerina Siniakova will return to defend their titles, adding excitement and anticipation to the event.
With entries finalized and anticipation building, the Olympic Tennis Event promises thrilling matches as athletes vie for Olympic glory on the clay courts of Roland Garros starting July 27. India’s contingent, led by experienced campaigner Rohan Bopanna and promising talent Sumit Nagal, aims to make a mark in one of the most prestigious sporting arenas, showcasing their skills and determination on the global stage of Paris 2024.
