Rohan Bopanna sets his focus on Paris 2024 Olympics men’s doubles tennis
The Indian tennis icon ruled out playing in the mixed doubles event at the Summer Games due to a lack of options.
Rohan Bopanna is one match away from winning his maiden Grand Slam title in men’s doubles at the Australian Open 2024. Win or lose, Bopanna is all set to be crowned the new world No. 1 men’s doubles player in the ATP rankings next week.
The timing of Bopanna’s rise in the rankings could not have come at a better time for India with the Paris 2024 Olympics fast approaching.
The men’s doubles event at Paris 2024 will feature 32 teams (a maximum of two per country). The first to qualify for the men’s doubles will be the top 10 players in the ATP doubles rankings, as long as they have an available partner from their country inside the top 300.
"I am definitely looking forward to competing at the Paris 2024 Olympics,” Bopanna said while addressing the media after winning the men’s doubles semi-finals at the Australian Open on Thursday.
“We have a good bunch of guys ranked from the 60s to 140, almost 10 guys in the ranking in India right now who are playing full-time doubles. I think there is a very good bunch of players who I could really choose from," Bopanna added.
Yuki Bhambri, N. Sriram Balaji, Vijay Sundar Prashanth, Anirudh Chandrasekhar and Arjun Khade are the Indian tennis players currently ranked in the top 100.
“I just need to figure out who is good on the clay court because we are going to be playing in Roland Garros (for the Paris 2024 Olympics),” Rohan Bopanna said.
The Indian tennis player revealed that he had organised a training camp in Bengaluru in December, bringing together a group of promising doubles players. Bopanna said through the initiative, known as the ‘Doubles Dream of India,’ he aims to support emerging talents by sponsoring coaches and physios to travel with them.
Bopanna, who missed out on an Olympic medal after losing the mixed semi-final at Rio 2016 alongside Sania Mirza, said he does not plan on competing in the mixed doubles at Paris 2024.
“Mixed (doubles) is definitely out of the question. There is no girl ranked high enough for me to even get in there unless maybe Sania (Mirza) has a protected ranking and she's coming back,” Bopana smiled.