Sydney, June 26 (Representative) The world’s current No. 9 men’s singles player, Alex de Minaur, will make his Olympic debut at Roland Garros, the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) announced on Wednesday. After withdrawing from the Tokyo Olympics due to COVID-19, the 25-year-old sensation has been selected alongside eight other players to represent Australia at Paris 2024. The Olympic tennis events will return to red clay at Roland Garros, marking only the second time in Olympic history that the tournament will be played on this natural and slippery surface. During the just-concluded French Open in June, de Minaur had an impressive run, becoming the first Australian to advance to a men’s singles quarterfinal at Roland Garros in 20 years. With nine career titles to his name, de Minaur expressed that it is a dream come true to be selected for the Australian Olympic Team. “Obviously last time round I got a little bit unlucky to not be able to play in Tokyo, but I’ve had my eyes set on Paris and I am super excited to now be officially part of this team,” he said.
De Minaur will be joined by fellow Olympic debutants Matt Ebden, Alexei Popyrin, Chris O’Connell, and Rinky Hijikata. Ajla Tomljanovic, Ellen Perez, and Daria Saville will return for their second Games. The 35-year-old veteran and former world No. 2 in doubles, John Peers, will make his third Olympic appearance in Paris. According to the AOC, de Minaur, Popyrin, O’Connell, and Hijikata will compete in the men’s singles. Current world No. 1 doubles player Ebden will team up with Tokyo 2020 mixed doubles bronze medalist John Peers in the men’s doubles. De Minaur and Popyrin will also compete in the men’s doubles. On the women’s side, Tomljanovic will participate in the singles event, while world No. 9 doubles player Perez will partner with Saville in the women’s doubles. The AOC also noted that further quotas may still be received as the ITF finalizes entry lists.