Rohan Bopanna wants to partner with Leander Paes at the 2016 Rio Olympics

Rohan Bopanna

Long before Mahesh Bhupathi won India its first Grand Slam title in mixed doubles at the 1997 French Open, the country was deemed a tennis powerhouse. The likes of Premjit Lall and Ramanathan Krishnan initiated a tradition which was ably carried forward by Vijay Amritraj and subsequently by the likes of Ramesh Krishnan, Leander Paes and Mahesh himself.

India also reached the finals of the Davis Cup thrice in 1966, 1974 and 1987, a feat achieved by no other Asian country yet. All the aforementioned get dwarfed though in comparison to one feat of individual brilliance, that of a singles medal at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.

Not only did Leander Paes get India on the Olympic podium after 16 years that day, he sparked a huge surge in the game throughout the country. The credence associated with the event was such that people still refer to that match against Fernando Magneli with more enthusiasm than the 30-odd Grand Slams that India’s players have won over the years.

That perhaps has to do with the enormity of the Olympics as a spectacle. In an interaction with the media ahead of their World Group Play-off vs Czech Republic, Rohan Bopanna conceded the same, “It’s an event people look forward to in our country and I am no different.”

Asked about who he will partner next year, he added, “It has to be Leander, there is no other Indian who would qualify to play in Rio except for the two of us. We all know how good he is when it comes to representing India and I am looking forward to putting up a good show.”

As prolific as he has been this season, Bopanna knows the Olympics will be a different ball game. “You see I have been playing with Florin Mergea for quite some time now. As brilliant a player he is, he tends to restrict himself to the baseline. That is entirely different from how Leander plays, he is always attacking the net and looking to volley. It will thus be a challenge to adjust my game accordingly.”

Dismissing rumours that they are planning to play together next season to stay prepared for the Olympics, he said, “Lea and I haven’t talked about it yet. Maybe we will, let’s see.”

Tennis, as most Indian aficionados would maintain, will provide the country with one of its best podium finishing opportunities in Rio. Here’s hoping Bopanna and Paes bring India its second medal in the sport, because all the Grand Slam exploits aside, it’s been the performances in Olympics that the nation tends to treasure the most.