US Open: N Sriram Balaji and American partner Evan King survived a dramatic first-round battle at the US Open 2026 men’s doubles event in New York, saving six match points against a Dutch pairing to advance to the second round, with Balaji drawing on last year’s disappointment to stay composed when the contest hung in the balance.
Balaji had suffered a painful first-round exit at the same tournament last year despite holding match points. Twelve months later, he found himself on the other side of a similar situation, with the Indian-American pair refusing to surrender their advantage when their opponents came within touching distance of victory.
For Balaji, the turnaround carried an obvious sense of satisfaction.
“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. I didn’t even think about the match points. We were just playing to our plan, and we stuck to it. In the third set, I was serving at 15-40, and 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,” Speaking in an interview shared by JioStar.
The ability to block out the magnitude of the situation proved crucial as Balaji and King negotiated the closing stages. Rather than allowing the six match points to dictate their decisions, Balaji said the pair relied on the patterns they had trusted throughout the contest.
The occasion was also amplified by the atmosphere around Flushing Meadows. Balaji, who had his coaching and support team travelling with him, said the energy generated by the New York crowd, including Indian supporters, had a direct impact on his performance.
“It’s the vibes and the energy here. It gets me going on the court as well. 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.”
The victory also offered an early indication of why Balaji and King have developed into a promising combination. The Indian believes their contrasting styles can make them difficult to contain, provided they can find consistency on return.
“It’s the vibes and the energy here. It gets me going on the court as well. 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.”
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Having escaped a contest that could easily have ended their campaign, Balaji and King now move into the second round with momentum — and with Balaji having erased, at least for now, the memory of another painful first-round defeat in New York.