The deadline to change the Olympics pairing is June 9. Bhupathi said he had conveyed the decision to Rohan Bopanna, who he had said earlier he would prefer to play with.

Paes and Bhupathi, both in their 30s, have not played together on the ATP circuit since 2000. Their best chance for an Olympic medal came in 2004 in Athens, where they lost a closely-contested bronze play-off. But Bhupathi said he believed they still had a chance to win in Beijing. “Of course we think we have a hope of winning at Beijing. If we did not believe we could do that, we would rather be home with our families,” said the man who has won the most Grand Slams for India.

In an official statement to the media, Anil Khanna said: “Leander and Mahesh, being true patriots and professionals, have agreed to put in their best effort by pairing up for Beijing Olympics to win a medal for the country.”