Rohan Bopanna’s Victory at the Australian Open
The Indian tennis star, Rohan Bopanna, attained an incredible victory at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne on Saturday. He teamed up with Matthew Ebden from Australia to defeat Italian players Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori in a game that ended 7-6(0), 7-5. They bagged the Australian Open men’s doubles title with this win. This is Bopanna’s first Grand Slam victory in men’s doubles, which made him the oldest man in the Open Era to achieve such a feat at 43 years old. This breaks the record previously held by Jean-Julien Rojer, who took home the 2022 French Open men’s doubles title with Marcelo Arevola at the ripe age of 40, according to our source.
Rafael Nadal’s Praise for Bopanna’s Victory
The success of Bopanna sparked admiration from Rafael Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam winner. Nadal, who withdrew from the Australian Open tournament due to a ‘micro tear’ in his hip muscle, praised the Indian player’s victory. He termed the win as a “unique” accomplishment. In an Instagram story on Sunday, Nadal expressed his congratulations to Rohan for an extraordinary achievement.
Bopanna’s Career Highlights
Bopanna’s victory at the Australian Open was not only his first in the men’s doubles but also his second-time winning a Grand Slam. His first Grand Slam victory happened in 2017 during the French Open mixed doubles event, where he played along with Canadian partner Gabriela Dabrowski. This triumph makes Bopanna the third Indian player in the Open Era to win a Slam men’s doubles title, joining the leagues of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi.
Remarking on his achievement, Bopanna stated, “Without a doubt the best moment in my career.” He expressed how joyful and overwhelming the moment was for him and the euphoria that came with the victory.
The Winning Game
Bopanna and Ebden demonstrated exceptional skill and control throughout the one-hour, 40-minute game. They won 80% of points behind their first serve and managed to fend off any break points from their Italian counterparts. Even though Bopanna and Ebden missed the chance to break the Italians, they didn’t concede a point in the first set tiebreak. In the second set, they broke serve and solidified their team’s first Slam title.
