Rohan Bopanna has made history by becoming the oldest ATP Masters 1000 champion. The Indian tennis star celebrated his 43rd birthday just 15 days prior to the Indian Wells doubles final where he and his Australian partner, Matthew Ebden, defeated top seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neal Skupski in a match that went into the tie-break.
Before the game, Bopanna sent an apology text to his former partner Daniel Nestor for breaking his record of being the oldest finalist in an ATP Masters tournament. Winning his fifth Masters title, Bopanna has set a new record as the oldest ATP Masters 1000 champion. This is a remarkable achievement that surpasses Nestor’s record of being 12 days shy of 43 years when he won the 2015 Cincinnati doubles crown.
Bopanna’s tennis level remains strong
Bopanna’s success speaks to his physical shape and longevity as he has been on the professional tour for two decades. His booming serves earned him some crucial free points in the match tie-break. “It’s always special when you get any record as such, but the biggest feeling for me is that I was able to pursue my tennis, keep it going, and still believe that I could win big tournaments,” Bopanna said after the title win.
Bopanna joined forces with Ebden earlier this season, and their new pairing got off to a rocky start. They lost first-round matches at the ATP Adelaide and the Australian Open. However, something clicked in one of their practice sessions in Rotterdam last month where they “just started playing unbelievable, both of us together at the same time”. The pair reached the final of that ATP 500 event where they lost from a match point, and the following week won the ATP 250 Qatar Open.
Bopanna’s eyes set on big trophies
After winning three titles last season, Bopanna already has two from the first three months of this year to go with the Australian Open mixed doubles final run with the now-retired Sania Mirza. In the company of Ebden, who wants them to be “one of the top teams, try and win Grand Slams and ATP Masters”, as he told this paper in an interview in November last year, Bopanna, at 43, has his sights set on some more big trophies. “I don’t think if I was ready to do that, then this would have been the right partnership,” he said. “I know I had to put in my side of the work, put in a lot of effort, then make sure that I’m recovered and playing good tennis to be able to achieve and do this. I think that is where my strengths are—constantly finding ways to figure on how I can improve.”
Bopanna’s 24th career ATP title will also push him four spots up in the updated doubles rankings to 11th, his best since 2016. The Indian tennis star has his sights set on more big titles in the future, and his partnership with Ebden is looking more and more promising with each passing match. “Sometimes, it takes some time finding the right partnership. The last three-four weeks have been fantastic,” Bopanna said. With his remarkable achievements and success, Rohan Bopanna has proven that age is just a number when it comes to tennis.
