Paris Olympics: Team USA’s Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek settle for silver after Australian comeback

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Rajeev Ram and Austin Krajicek were on the precipice of well-earned Olympic glory, but it all went sour in the span of half a set and two tiebreakers. It left Team USA in a familiar position so far in Paris: silver, just short of gold.

At one point in their gold medal match against Australia’s Matthew Ebden and John Peers, the American pair were up a set and a break, having not lost a set all tournament. Leading 4-2 in the second set, they proceeded to cough up a break and fell short at deuce in another return game to allow the frame to go to a tiebreaker.

That tiebreaker went quite badly, losing 7-1 to force a third-set super tiebreaker. The Australians’ momentum held, taking a commanding 7-2 lead on what might have been the wildest point of the match. Ram appeared to nail them with an overhead smash to the side, but Ebden ran past the umpire’s chair to save the point.

Ram and Krajicek made it interesting with three straight points won toward the end, but they fell just short of tying it. The Australians walked away with an eventful 6-7 (6), 7-6 (1), 10-8 win.

It is Australia’s second-ever gold medal in tennis, joining Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde in 1996 men’s doubles. This will also push Australia into second on the gold medal count with 12, behind only China’s 13. America’s total remains at nine, more than a week into the Games.

The loss will also leave Team USA without a gold medal for a second straight Olympics, after three straight Games of at least one champion. Ram won his second Olympic silver medal, having finished as runner-up in mixed double in 2016, and Krajicek got his first medal.

At 40 and 34 respectively, Ram and Krajicek had the doubles experience in a draw that featured stars such as Rafael Nadal, Carlos Alcaraz, Daniil Medvedev and Andy Murray. The Spanish Nadal-Alcaraz duo drew all eyes early in the tournament, with the 14-time French Open playing what were likely his final Roland Garros matches. Krajicek and Ram brought that narrative to a screeching halt in the quarterfinals.

Doubles can often feel like a different sport, with its emphasis on serving, volleys and teamwork, and Ram and Krajicek delivered all three throughout the tournament, not dropping a set until that second tiebreaker on Saturday.

Ram entered the Olympics with six Grand Slam doubles titles to his name, four in men’s with partner Joe Salisbury and two in mixed with Barbora Krejčíková. Krajicek has only one Grand Slam title with the 2023 French Open, but it was a significant one given the setting.