When one talks about tennis in India, it is largely about Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, the immense potential the country has, and the disappointments. Amidst all this, Rohan Bopanna went about doing his business quietly, throughout 2023, and became a legend of sports, reaching the World no. 3 in the rankings.
Partnering with Australian Matthew Edben, Bopanna scaled heights that very few Indians have reached, that too at the ripe age of 43, a time usually for players to hang their boots.
Rohan Bopanna in 2023
Bopanna, along with Ebden reached the finals of the ATP Rotterdam and Qatar Open at the start of the year, with lifting their first trophy in the latter, in 2023. Post that, they also laid their hands on the Indian Wells Masters title. The unseeded pair defeated top seeds Neal Skupski and Wesley Koolhof in the final.
Meanwhile, they reached the semis at Barcelona, and then finished as runner-up at the Madrid Open, losing the final against Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev. In fact, Bopanna also became the oldest ever to reach the final at the US Open. He continued his fine run along with Ebden, as he reached the final at the Shanghai Masters; again a runners-up finish.
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Never Too Late With Bopanna
Right at the start of the year, Bopanna was ranked 19th in the world but progressed to better that by 16 spots. With the help of their superior ranking, they reached the ATP Finals and went on to make the semis of the tournament.
Truly, Bopanna is a gem of Indian sports, and once again the Indian team will look at him to deliver a medal at the Olympics, either in men’s doubles or the mixed doubles.
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