24

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Olympic Games-2024

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Will Rohan Bopanna break Rajeev Ram’s winning streak?

Prabhjot Singh

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Paris | Thursday | 25 July 2025

Rivalries, traditional or otherwise, enliven sports competitions. Suppose the fight for Ashes between Australia and England enthuses cricket followers worldwide. In that case, the India-Pakistan game in hockey gets the South Asian community on the edge of their seats. Have you ever wondered about the tennis rivalry that has been growing between India and the United States since the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games?

Individual rivalries apart, they become so exciting and animated that they get linked to national pride and honour.

In the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, Indian ace Leander Paes made the medal round in men’s singles. In the semi-finals, he was drawn to meet the challenge of Andre Agassi of the hosts, USA.

Though Leander lost to his much-fancied opponent, he made amends by winning the bronze medal, the first individual medal for an Indian athlete since the 1952 Helsinki Olympic games.

The defeat of Leander set in motion a rivalry that has since then been growing steadily. The USA has been triumphant in most of the prestigious events against its Indian opponents. Twenty years later, when the Indian mixed doubles pair of Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza faced Rajeev Ram and Venus Williams in the semi-finals in the Rio Olympic games, the Americans were unstoppable.

 

Article at a Glance
The upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games are set to witness a thrilling tennis rivalry between India and the United States. The rivalry dates back to the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, where Indian ace Leander Paes faced off against Andre Agassi of the USA. Although Paes lost, he went on to win the bronze medal, India's first individual medal since 1952.

Since then, the USA has dominated India in prestigious tennis events, including the Rio Olympic Games and the US Open. However, Indian tennis players, such as Rohan Bopanna, are determined to end the drought. Bopanna, now 44, will pair up with Sriram Balaji in the men's doubles event, hoping to finally win a medal.

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will feature a strong US team, with 592 athletes, including Rajeev Ram and Kanak Jha, both of Indian origin. The team boasts an impressive roster, with 122 Olympic medallists, including 66 Olympic champions. The games will also mark a historic milestone, with numerical gender parity on the field of play, ensuring equal representation of male and female athletes.

The US team's roster includes athletes from 46 states, with California, Florida, and Texas leading the way. The team also features a diverse range of athletes, including siblings, parents, and military personnel. With the Olympics just around the corner, the stage is set for an exciting showdown between India and the USA in tennis, as well as other sports.

 

It was a golden opportunity for the Indian pair to end the 20-year drought in tennis, but it went down fighting to a Czech Republic pair in the bronze medal game.

The rivalry did not end with the second successive reverse for India in Olympic tennis, it got extended to one of the grand slams, the US Open. In the 2023 US Open, Rohan Bopanna and his Australian partner lost the men’s doubles title to Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek.

Rohan Bopanna, one of the oldest players on the tennis circuit, may still be hopeful of ending his career with a medal in tennis. He may again run into Rajeev Ram in the men’s doubles event. This time, Rohan Bopanna will be paired with Sriram Balaji. The tennis competition will be held from July 27. Rohan, now 44, is the oldest while Rajeev is not far behind as he crossed 40 in March this year.

Rajeev Ram is one of the illustrious members of the Indian Diaspora who has won several honours for the US in Grand Slams and even a silver medal in the Olympic Games (2016). Rohan lost a chance to become the second Indian player after Leander to win an Olympic medal in Tennis in Rio. Paris may be his last chance.

Other than Rajeev Ram, Kanak Jha is another player of Indian origin who will be donning US colours for the third consecutive Olympic Games. Kanak plays Table Tennis but has never progressed to the medal round in his previous Olympic participations.

When the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee announced its 592-member 2024 Olympic team to compete at the 2024 edition of the  Games, it included both Rajeev Ram and Kanak Jha. Before Rajeev Ram won a silver medal in 2016, cyclist Alexi Singh Grewal held aloft the US flag with a gold medal triumph in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.  Alexi Singh has been the torch-bearer of sportspersons of Indian origin representing the US in various major international sporting events. 

 

Paris returns as the host nation of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, which is taking place exactly 100 years since Paris hosted the Olympic Games back in 1924. Paris joins London as the only two cities to host the Olympic Games three times. Paris hosted in 1900, 1924 and now 2024, while London hosted in 1908, 1948 and 2012. 

An estimated 10,500 athletes from more than 200 National Olympic Committees and the IOC Refugee Olympic Team will take to Paris to compete on the world stage. Thirty-two sports will be contested during the Olympic Games Paris 2024, with 329 medal events in total.  

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will make history by achieving numerical gender parity on the field of play, ensuring equal representation of male and female athletes. For the 2024 U.S. Olympic team, the roster comprises of 314 females and 278 males. 

 "It is with immense pride and excitement that we announce the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team and the exceptional athletes that embody the spirit of dedication, resilience, and excellence, continuing the proud history of Team USA at the Olympic Games,” said USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland. “As they prepare to represent our nation on the greatest stage in all of sports, we honour their personal achievements and celebrate the unwavering support of the people that make it possible -- their families, teammates, National Governing Bodies, coaches, and communities around the country. In the true spirit of 'One for All,' we join a proud nation of fans in cheering them on through inspiring performances and unforgettable moments." 
 
The 2024 U.S. Olympic Team has over 250 returning Olympians – including three five-time, four four-time, 16 three-time and more than 50 two-time Olympians. The slate of veterans features 122 Olympic medallists, including 66 Olympic champions who have won 110 gold medals. Forty-five athletes have won multiple Olympic medals, while 23 have won multiple Olympic gold medals. 
 
The multiple medallists are led by Katie Ledecky (swimming) who leads the team with 10 Olympic medals, including seven golds and three silvers. Simone Biles (artistic gymnastics) and Caeleb Dressel (swimming) enter Paris 2024 with seven medals each, while Ryan Murphy (swimming) has six, and Diana Taurasi (basketball), Lilly King (swimming) and Simone Manuel (swimming)  have five each. 
 
The three five-time Olympians on the roster include Taurasi, Steffen Peters and McLain Ward (equestrian). The four four-time Olympians feature Brady Ellison (archery), Gerek Meinhardt (fencing), Stu McNay (sailing) and Vincent Hancock (shooting). 
  
"These athletes of Team USA have demonstrated unparalleled dedication and passion in their pursuit of excellence on their road to earning a place on the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team and representing the United States in Paris,” said Rocky Harris, USOPC chief of sport and athlete services, and Chef de Mission for the Olympic Games Paris 2024. “Their journey to the Games exemplifies the Olympic spirit—pushing boundaries, breaking records, and captivating millions around the country and the world, and I am so proud to be a part of a team of colleagues at the USOPC and across the National Governing Bodies who support them. This summer, Team USA athletes will amaze us with extraordinary talent and indomitable spirit – and they will undoubtedly inspire the next generation.” 
 
Of the collective of 592 U.S. athletes competing in Paris, 75% (444 athletes) competed collegiately at 169 schools. Twenty-one teams have at least 80% collegiate participation on their U.S. Olympic rosters, including 15 teams that are comprised of 100% college athletes: women’s basketball, men’s and women’s 3x3 basketball, beach volleyball, men’s and women’s indoor volleyball, diving, fencing, women’s field hockey, women’s rugby, modern pentathlon, men’s and women’s water polo, rowing and triathlon. College athlete representation on the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team spans all three NCAA Divisions (I, II and III), as well as junior colleges and collegiate club programs. 
 
Forty-six states are represented on the U.S. roster, with California (120), Florida (42), Texas (41), Illinois and Pennsylvania (27) leading the way. Three athletes identify international hometowns, including Ian Barrows (sailing) from St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Maximilian Dietz (soccer) from Frankfurt, Germany, and Luca Cupido (water polo) from Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy.  

At a glance:
 

·       It also includes 314 women and 278 men, marking the fourth straight Olympic Games with more women on the U.S. roster than men.  
 

·       Artistic gymnast Hezly Rivera is the youngest of three athletes who are age 16, while equestrian Steffen Peters will be competing at age 59. 
 

·       The 2024 team features more than 250 returning Olympians and 122 Olympic medallists, including 66 Olympic champions. 

 

·       Three five-time Olympians decorate the roster, including Diana Taurasi (basketball), Steffen Peters (equestrian) and McLain Ward (equestrian). The four four-time Olympians include Brady Ellison (archery), Gerek Meinhardt (fencing), Stu McNay (sailing) and Vincent Hancock (shooting).  

 

·       The United States will be represented in 44 sports in Paris. Of the 329 medal events contested in Paris, Team USA will have at least one entry (athlete/team) in 253 of these events. 
 

·       There are at least six sets of siblings on the team, including twins Annie and Kerry Xu (badminton), Brooke and Emma DeBerdine (field hockey), Alex and Aaron Shackell (swimming), Gretchen and Alex Walsh (swimming), Juliette and Isabella Whittaker (track and field) and Chase and Ryder Dood (water polo). 

 

·       Twelve athletes on the roster self-identify ties to the military, including 10 with the Army, one with the Navy and one with the Marines. 

 

·       Forty-six athletes on the roster self-identify as parents, including 34 dads and 12 moms. 

 

·       March is the most popular birthday month with 59 athletes.

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