US Open 2026: India's campaign ends with N Sriram Balaji's exit
(Courtesy : Instagram/@sriram.balaji)
Sriram Balaji and his doubles partner Evan King bowed out in the second round
Indian tennis fans had reason to stay up late this week as N Sriram Balaji kept the country’s flag flying in the men’s doubles draw at the ongoing US Open. The 36-year-old, playing alongside American Evan King, had pulled off one of the event’s comebacks in the opening round, and many were hoping the pair could carry that momentum deeper into the draw. That hope, however, did not last beyond the second round.
Balaji and King went down fighting against 12th seeds Hugo Nys of Monaco and Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France, losing 6-4, 7-5 in a contest that lasted an hour and 28 minutes on Sunday.
The Indian-American pair were broken in the eighth game of the opening set and never quite recovered, allowing the seeded duo to close it out 6-4. The second set was far closer, but a crucial break in the 11th game gave Nys and Roger-Vasselin a 6-5 lead, and they served the match out from there.
Why did India’s campaign end at the US Open 2026?
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India’s campaign wrapped up because Balaji was the country’s last remaining player in the senior draw, across both singles and doubles. Yuki Bhambri, Anirudh Chandrasekar and Niki Poonacha had already bowed out of men’s doubles in the first round. Unfortunately, India had no representation at all in the singles main draws or in mixed doubles this year.
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What made Balaji’s exit sting a bit more was the manner of his first-round win just two days earlier. He and King had saved six match points combined against Dutch pair Sander Arends and David Pel, winning 3-6, 7-6(7), 7-6(10) in a marathon lasting nearly three hours, including a 12-10 tie-break in the decider.
The second-round finish actually matches Balaji’s career-best result at the US Open, a mark he first set in 2024 partnering Argentina’s Guido Andreozzi. He is currently ranked 54th in the world, his career-high, achieved on 24 August 2026. The Chennai-born player also holds a career-high singles ranking of 287, reached back in June 2017.
Away from Grand Slams, Balaji has claimed nine ITF singles titles, 43 ITF Futures doubles titles, and six Challenger doubles crowns. He also remains an active member of India’s Davis Cup squad since his 2017 debut alongside Rohan Bopanna.
Who did Sriram Balaji lose to in the US Open 2026 second round?
Balaji and partner Evan King lost to 12th seeds Hugo Nys and Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-4, 7-5 in one hour and 28 minutes.
What was Balaji’s best result at the US Open 2026 before the loss?
Balaji and King reached the second round after saving six match points to beat Sander Arends and David Pel 3-6, 7-6(7), 7-6(10) in the first round, matching his career-best US Open result from 2024.
What is Sriram Balaji‘s best result at Grand Slams?
Sriram Balaji’s best performance at Grand Slams came during the French Open earlier this year, reaching the quarter-finals.
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