Mumbai: Still going strong at 43, Rohan Bopanna made India proud after marking his 500th career win in professional tennis at Australian Open 2024. “It’s a truly special feeling that I got myself to 500 wins. There have been a lot of sacrifices in this journey and lot of people were with my during this time,” he expressed to Sony Sports Network’s expert panellist on the studio show Extraaa Serve, Somdev Devvarman.
Bopanna, along with men’s doubles partner Matthew Ebden, went on to bag his 501st win in the second round of the tournament as the pair downed Aussie pair John Millman and Edward Winter in straight sets. With 21 career titles, Rohan Bopanna is one of India’s most decorated tennis professionals. He has been quite the journeyman in tennis and has adapted his style of play a lot over the years.
While shedding light on how he still manages to come through, Bopanna explained, “It was very difficult to not be able to serve & volley which I was always taught to do and was my style. I had to manage it and find new ways of playing that worked while playing at the highest level. Back in 2020 during the pandemic, I started doing the Iyengar yoga and that significantly made a positive impact on my health. I could do 90-minute sessions for four times a week.”
“I think mentally also I became much stronger,” he continued. “I was clearer in the way I was thinking while playing tennis. That made a great difference it resulted in a great last year for me as I enjoyed myself being on the court.”
Bopanna also spoke about the challenging conditions at Australian Open and having to push his boundaries to get them wins. “It’s really tricky, the conditions in Melbourne. When it is windy, tennis is really different. You can’t go after your serve, you have to play the percentage game. That is really not my style and I had to work really hard with my legs. But thankfully, we got through,” he concluded.
Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden will next take on Wesley Koolhof and Nikola Mektic in their men’s doubles third round match on Sunday, 21st January 2024, only on Sony Sports Network.
Watch the full interview here:
