Known by many Indian fans as Rohan Bopanna's doubles partner, Matthew Ebden has sealed a spot in the men's singles main draw at the Paris Olympics. He is unranked in singles and hasn't featured in a singles match in the last two years. He was included in the list of alternates, and got picked when Andy Murray withdrew from the singles draw.
The regulations state that if a player withdraws, then preference will be given to existing players who are already listed in the doubles draw. But to make it more intense, he has been drawn to face Novak Djokovic in the first round at Roland Garros and if he wins, he will take on Rafael Nadal in the next.
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Reacting to the draw, Ebden had a hilarious reaction. Taking to Instagram, he posted a reel of himself reacting to it, and he captioned it as, "when you find out you got alternate into the Olympics singles only to draw @djokernole 1st round to play @rafaelnadal 2nd round".
Ebden, who was previous doubles no. 1 with Bopanna, and is now third in the ATP rankings. He is a three-time Grand Slam champion, clinching the 2022 Wimbledon and 2024 Australian titles in men's doubles with Max Purcell and Rohan Bopanna respectively. Meanwhile, he won the 2013 Australian Open mixed doubles title with Jarmila Gajdosova.
{{/usCountry}}Ebden, who was previous doubles no. 1 with Bopanna, and is now third in the ATP rankings. He is a three-time Grand Slam champion, clinching the 2022 Wimbledon and 2024 Australian titles in men's doubles with Max Purcell and Rohan Bopanna respectively. Meanwhile, he won the 2013 Australian Open mixed doubles title with Jarmila Gajdosova.
{{/usCountry}}Speaking ahead of his match vs Ebden, Djokovic said, "When it comes to bookmakers, people will always talk. I haven't yet won a title in this calendar year so people tend to count me out, but it has happened before and it can always change. So it can be a motivator. I feel more ready now than I was for Wimbledon."
"The expectations are always high, which is something that I cannot change and don't want to. Approaching Olympic Games is always a huge challenge for me because I put extra expectations and pressure on myself, and of course, the nation as well. The objective is always the highest one. I'm hoping I can perform by best and get to the medal match," he added.