Top five achievements of Rohan Bopanna

The veteran Indian tennis player recently was in the news as he created yet another record.

Rohan Bopanna has been one of the longest-serving names in the books of Indian tennis history. A late bloomer in the sport, only finding his calling in his late teens, Bopanna has been nothing short of exceptional since then. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest achievements in his illustrious career.

Oldest tennis player to ATP Masters 1000 title

Earlier this month, 43-year-old Rohan Bopanna and Mathew Ebden became the oldest tennis duo to win an ATP Masters 1000 title after their Indian-Wells triumph. 

In the final, they saw off the top seeds Wesley Koolhof and Neil Skupski. The Indo-Australian duo won the first set 6-3 but conceded the second one 6-2. In the tiebreaker, Bopanna-Ebden emerged victorious 10-8. 

Reached the 2010 US Open men’s doubles final without dropping a set

Rohan Bopanna teamed up with Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi of Pakistan to make a historic run in the 2010 US Open men’s doubles. The unseeded duo reached the final of the tournament, becoming the first Indian-Pakistani pair to make it to a Grand Slam final in the Open era.

Bopanna and Qureshi’s Indo-Pak Express reached the final following some impressive wins, including victories over the top-seeded Bryan brothers and the 11th-seeded Argentine team of Eduardo Schwank and Horacio Zeballos.

In the final, Rohan Bopanna and Qureshi faced off against the second-seeded Czech pair of Lukas Dlouhy and Leander Paes. Despite putting up a valiant fight, the Indo-Pakistani duo ultimately fell short, losing 6-3, 6-4. Nonetheless, their impressive run at the US Open garnered significant attention and praise, not just for their performance on the court but also for the message of unity and friendship they conveyed as a team.

One of only four Indian tennis players to a Grand Slam title

One of his most notable achievements was winning a Grand Slam title in mixed doubles at the 2017 French Open.

Rohan Bopanna partnered with Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski to win the mixed doubles title, defeating the duo of Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Robert Farah in the final. With this victory, Bopanna became one of only four Indians to win a Grand Slam title, joining the ranks of Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, and Sania Mirza.

Bopanna’s achievement of winning a Grand Slam title was a significant moment for Indian tennis and further cemented his status as one of the country’s most successful players.

Achieved a career-high ranking of World No. 3 on July 22, 2013, and was the highest-ranked Indian tennis player

Bopanna’s impressive rise up the rankings was due to his consistent performances in various tournaments across the globe.

In 2012, Rohan Bopanna had a breakthrough year when he won four ATP doubles titles, including the prestigious Paris Masters. The following year, he reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and Wimbledon with his partner, Edouard Roger-Vasselin.

Bopanna’s consistent performances in major tournaments and his ability to trump top-ranked players helped him achieve his career-best ranking of third in the world in men’s doubles. This was a significant achievement for Indian tennis as he was the first Indian to achieve this rank. 

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4th-place finish at the 2016 Rio Olympics

A 37-year-old Rohan Bopanna represented India in the men’s doubles tennis event at the 2016 Rio Olympics, partnering with Sania Mirza in the mixed doubles segment. Bopanna had previously won numerous doubles titles on the professional tour and Mirza was the number 1 ranked player in women’s doubles. So, the hopes from the duo were really high. 

Bopanna and Mirza reached the semifinals winning three matches in straight sets. However, they succumbed to the American pair of Venus Williams and Rajeev Ram in a tightly contested semifinal, which went to a tiebreak in the third set.

In the bronze medal match, Bopanna and Mirza faced the Czech pair of Radek Stepanek and Lucie Hradecka. Despite winning the first set, Bopanna and Mirza lost the match in three sets, finishing in fourth place overall.

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