India’s hopes of a medal in tennis at the Paris 2024 Olympics were dashed on Sunday as both the men’s doubles and singles players suffered defeats in the first round. The Indian pair of Rohan Bopanna and N Sriram Balaji faced a straight-set loss to the French duo of Gael Monfils and Edouard Roger-Vasselin in the men’s doubles competition at Court 14 of Roland-Garros. Vasselin and Monfils dominated the match, securing a 7-5, 6-2 victory in a tight one hour and 16 minutes. This defeat sent the French pair through to the second round, where they will face the second-seeded German pair of Tim Puetz and Kevin Krawietz.
Earlier in the day, India’s sole representative in men’s singles, Sumit Nagal, faced a tough challenge against Frenchman Corentin Moutet. Despite a valiant effort, Nagal ultimately succumbed to a three-set defeat, marking the end of India’s tennis journey at the Paris Olympics. These setbacks leave India with no representation in tennis moving forward in the competition.
