French Open 2026: Sriram Balaji storms into men’s doubles quarter-finals

India’s Sriram Balaji and his Brazilian partner Marcelo Demoliner stormed into the French Open 2026 men’s doubles quarter-finals with a win over sixth seeds Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz of Germany on Monday.

The Indian tennis player and Marcelo Demoliner, unseeded at this year’s Roland Garros, took one hour and 25 minutes to pull off a 7-5, 6-4 upset against the two Grand Slam winners from Germany in their round of 16 match.

The victory over the experienced German tennis pair, who arrived in Paris after winning the Monte-Carlo Masters last month, also secured 36-year-old Sriram Balaji a maiden Grand Slam quarter-final appearance.

The Indo-Brazilian duo will next face second seeds Henry Patten of Great Britain and Finland’s Harri Heliovaara for a place in the semi-finals.

Balaji and Demoliner were put under pressure early after losing serve in the second game of the opening set. However, they responded immediately with a break back in the very next game.

With the set finely poised at 5-5, Balaji and Demoliner earned a decisive break in the 11th game before serving out the opener 7-5.

Carrying that momentum into the second set, the pair broke serve in the very first game and held firm throughout to seal the match in straight sets.

Krawietz is a two-time Roland Garros men’s doubles champion, having won the title in 2019 and 2020, while Puetz claimed the mixed doubles crown at the French Open in 2023.

Sriram Balaji is the lone Indian remaining in contention at the French Open 2026.

Yuki Bhambri’s campaign at the season’s second Grand Slam came to an end on Sunday following a second-round defeat in the mixed doubles event.

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