Tennis at Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Sania Mirza, Sumit Nagal handed tricky draws - watch live

Tennis events at Tokyo Olympics 2020 will begin from Saturday, July 24 and run till Sunday, August 1.

The tennis event programme includes the men’s event (singles and doubles) and women’s event (singles and doubles). The mixed doubles event, first contested at London 2012, will also be held at Tokyo 2020. 

The programme is set to follow a knockout format with all matches to be played on hard courts.

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) announced the entry list for Tokyo 2020 Olympics on Thursday, July 1 with Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic the top names to feature in the men’s category. 

While the ITF noted that the ‘the entry lists are still subject to change’, 39-year-old Federer took to Twitter on Wednesday to announce his withdrawal from the Olympic Games due to a knee injury.

pic.twitter.com/ngIlD6MYew

— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) July 13, 2021

Rafael Nadal decided to skip Wimbledon and the Summer Games, after ‘listening to his body’ and opting to take a break from action. Besides Nadal, Dominic Thiem is another ATP Top 10 player to officially withdraw from Tokyo 2020 due to a wrist injury.

Two-time Olympic gold winner Andy Murray will look to secure another medal after being granted a special exemption to participate at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Murray was considered as a participant as his combined tally of Olympic medals and Grand Slam titles was more than any player who didn’t earn a direct entry for Tokyo 2020.

Wimbledon champion and World No. 1 Ashleigh Barty headlines the women’s category that will see Naomi Osaka mark a return to competitive action. Osaka, whose withdrawal from a press conference at the French Open caused a storm, will feature in her maiden Olympics representing Japan after deciding to renounce her U.S citizenship.

Serena Williams is the biggest name to skip the women’s events, as she is recuperating from a leg injury.

Indian Tennis at Tokyo 2020: Who will Sania Mirza and Sumit Nagal face?

Indian tennis icon Sania Mirza and her women’s doubles partner Ankita Raina will kick-off her Tokyo Olympics campaign against Ukrainian pair Liudmyla Kichenok and Nadiia Kichenok in the first round.

The 34-year-old, who qualified directly via her ranking, could face eighth-seeded USA pair Nicole Melichar and Alison Riske in the second round.

Sumit Nagal qualified for the Tokyo Olympics after the men’s singles event saw multiple withdrawals at the last moment. Nagal has been drawn against Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin in the first round, and the emerging Indian star could face second-seed Daniil Medvedev in the second round.

Tennis at Tokyo 2020 Olympics: Schedule, fixtures and live India match times

All match times are in Indian Standard Time

Where to watch Tennis events at Tokyo 2020 Olympics live in India?

Tennis events at Tokyo 2020 Olympics will be telecast on the Sony Pictures Network India. Coverage will begin live at 7.30 AM IST on Sony’s TV channels in India. 

Live streaming of the Tennis events at Tokyo 2020 Olympics will be available on the SonyLIV app and website.

Featured photo: Twitter / ATP Tour