Indian tennis player N Sriram Balaji and his American partner Evan King advanced to the second round of the US Open 2026 men’s doubles competition after surviving a major scare in their opening match.
Balaji opened up about the dramatic victory, the support from the New York crowd and his partnership with King in an interview shared by JioStar.
The Indian-America pair managed to save six match points during the first-round encounter against the Dutch duo before securing their place in the second round.
Reflecting on the victory, Balaji said the result was particularly satisfying after his experience at last year’s US Open. “I’m really glad that we pulled this off. I was here last year, and I had match points but lost in the first round, so this feels like I’m getting revenge for that. I’m really happy about it,” Balaji said.
The Indian player explained that the pair remained focused on their game plan during the crucial moments. “I didn’t even think about the match points. We were just playing to our plan, and we stuck to it,” he said.
Balaji also recalled the tense moment when he was serving at 15-40 in the third set. “I think I just focused on my first serve. I was thinking that I needed to get my first serve in, and then the rest would be fine. So, thankfully, it worked,” he added.
‘New York’s vibes and energy get me going’
Balaji also spoke about the atmosphere in New York and the support he has received from Indian fans. “It’s the vibes and the energy here. It gets me going on the court as well,” he said.
The Indian doubles player added that his support team has also travelled with him for the tournament. “I have all my coaches, including two tennis coaches and two physios, travelling with me for the first time. We’ve got a lot of Indians here, and they’ve been outside pushing me and giving me energy. So, it’s been great,” Balaji said.
Balaji opens up on partnership with Evan King
Balaji believes his partnership with King has worked because the two players complement each other well. “I think we complement each other well. The lefty-righty combination also works, and we’ve got good serves,” he said.
He also highlighted the importance of returning well as a pair. “If, in one of the games, we click with our returns, I think we can be quite dangerous,” Balaji added.
Balaji and King will now face Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Hugo Nys in the second round of the US Open 2026 men’s doubles competition. The match will be available to watch live on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network from 10 PM onwards.
