On Saturday, Rohan Bopanna, aged 43, made history by becoming the oldest number one in men’s doubles and winning his first Grand Slam title in men’s doubles at the Australian Open with his partner Matthew Ebden.
The Indian duo defeated the Italian pair of Bolelli and Vavassori in an hour and 39 minutes of high-quality tennis. Bopanna is the third Indian to win a men’s doubles Grand Slam title, after Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes.
The Bopanna-Ebden pair, seeded second, secured their first title with a 7-6(0) 7-5 win in the final. Bopanna’s victory at the Australian Open marks his first Grand Slam win in men’s doubles, after previously playing in 60 Grand Slams.
Sania Mirza is the only Indian woman to have won a Major title, while Paes, Bhupathi, and now Bopanna have won them in men’s tennis.
Bopanna will take over as the new number one in the ATP rankings on Monday, making him the oldest player to achieve this feat.
PM Modi congratulates Rohan Bopanna for winning Australian Open
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, congratulated tennis player Rohan Bopanna for winning the Australian Open today. The Prime Minister posted on X:
Congratulations @rohanbopanna for winning your maiden #AusOpen Doubles title! An incredible effort of not giving up and pushing your limits on the court every time. ??
Wouldn’t have been possible without your partner Matthew Ebden and the team behind. ?
— Neeraj Chopra (@Neeraj_chopra1) January 27, 2024
Your moment can arrive anytime, anywhere. Just ask @rohanbopanna, who at 43, seized it on the grand stage of the @AustralianOpen. Keep training, keep dreaming and be prepared to step up when your time comes. ?? ?#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/WdDGzjfufW
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) January 27, 2024
