2024 Paris Olympics, tennis: Key details of Indian contingent
The 2024 Paris Olympics is set to commence on July 26 in Paris, the capital of France. Over 10,000 athletes will feature at the Paris Games for 19 days. Notably, India will field three tennis players across categories - Sumit Nagal, Rohan Bopanna, and N Sriram Balaji. The Indian tennis contingent eyes its second Olympic medal and the first since 1996.
Tennis at Paris Olympics
The Tennis event at the Paris Games will begin on July 27. The home of French Open, Stade Roland Garros will host the entire tennis event at the Paris Games. An Olympic tennis competition will be played on clay for the first time since Barcelona 1992. This also marks the first Olympic tennis event at a Grand Slam venue since the 2012 London Games.
Sumit to face Corentin Moutet in first round
As per the tennis draw for the 2024 Paris Games, Sumit will face France's Corentin Moutet in the men's singles first round. Meanwhile, the duo of Bopanna and Balaji will take on Frenchmen Fabien Reboul and Edouard Roger-Vasselin in the men's doubles first round.
India's only Olympic medal in tennis
Legend Leander Paes claimed India's first Olympic medal in tennis, in the 1996 Atlanta Games. Paes reached the men's singles semi-finals, where veteran Andre Agassi defeated him 7-6(5), 6-3. The Indian then beat Brazil's Fernando Meligeni 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 in the bronze medal match. This remains India's only medal in tennis across singles and doubles events at the Olympics.
Road ahead for Sumit, Bopanna, and Balaji
Sumit, ranked 80th at the moment, will face world number 68 Moutet in his tournament opener. If the Indian proceeds, his next opponent would be either Jan-Lennard Struff or Australia's Alex de Minaur. Meanwhile, Bopanna and Balaji could face the winner of Daniil Medvedev-Roman Safiullin and Kevin Krawietz-Tim Putz clash in the men's doubles second round.
Sumit grabbed eyeballs in Tokyo
It is worth noting that Sumit became the first Indian to win a singles Olympic match in over 25 at the 2020 Tokyo Games. He defeated Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin in the opening round before losing to Medvedev.
