January 14, 2024: India's Rohan Bopanna faced an early exit in the 2025 Australian Open as his men's doubles campaign came to a disappointing end in the first round. Partnering with Colombia's Nicolas Barrientos, the 14th-seeded duo was defeated by Spain's Pedro Martinez and Jaume Munar, 5-7, 6-7 (5), in a tight match that lasted nearly two hours on Court 15 in Melbourne.
Despite their seeding, Bopanna and Barrientos struggled to find their rhythm against the unseeded Spanish pair. This loss marked a setback for Bopanna, who had won the Australian Open doubles title in 2024 with former partner Matthew Ebden. The 44-year-old, who reached the World No. 1 doubles ranking in 2023, was unable to replicate his previous success this time around.
This loss added to India's disappointing run at the tournament, as Sumit Nagal also bowed out in the first round of the men's singles. The 27-year-old Nagal, who was the only Indian male player in the singles draw, lost to Czechia's 26th seed Tomas Machac 6-3, 6-1, 7-5. Nagal fought hard but was overpowered by Machac in a match lasting two hours and five minutes. Last year, Nagal had made a splash at the Australian Open, defeating Kazakhstan's world No. 27 Alexander Bublik in the first round.
In doubles, three other Indian players remain in contention. Yuki Bhambri is partnering with France's Albano Olivetti, N. Sriram Balaji is teaming up with Mexico's Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela, and Rithvik Bollipalli is playing alongside American Ryan Seggerman.
Unfortunately, no Indian woman qualified for the Australian Open this year, leaving the country’s hopes at the tournament resting on the remaining men's doubles players.
