The tall and sturdy figure of Rohan Bopanna will no longer fight under the Indian tricolour in tennis battles across the world. The bearded warrior brought a long and fruitful career for his country to a quiet end after bowing out of the men’s doubles event of the ongoing Paris Olympics. Bopanna and his partner Sriram Balaji lost their first-round match to the French combination of Gael Monfils and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.
Bopanna has achieved many laurels in his career but perhaps the most remarkable accomplishment was that he continued to fight at the top international level till the age of 44. At times he faced opponents who were half his age and conquered them.
In January this year, he proved that age is just a number. At 43 (he became 44 in March 2024), he attained the rank of world number one in doubles after winning the Australian Open title with Mathew Ebden. It was a feat that no other player in the world had achieved.
Secret of success
“First of all, I believe that one has to be mentally strong. One has to have a firm belief that victory can be attained and there should be no worry in the mind about whether the opponent is stronger or fitter. The focus should be to play one’s best tennis when it matters,” he told television journalist Vikram Chandra after the event.
Fitness routine
Other than maintaining a strong mental attitude, Bopanna does Iyengar Yoga to stay fit. He has had to do special exercises to strengthen his joints, tendons, and cartilage. Every athlete suffers from wear and tear and Bopanna is no exception. But he takes special care to overcome these hurdles and remain at the peak of physical fitness.
After the victory in the Australian Open Bopanna also gave credit to his partner Mathew Ebden who was born in South Africa but now resides in Australia. It was pleasing to see the smooth teamwork and understanding that the duo displayed.
Forging sound partnerships
Bopanna’s most unique quality was that he could easily forge instinctive and unbreakable bonds with his doubles partners. It may be recalled that in his early days, Bopanna had formed a very successful combination with Aisam ul Haq Qureshi of Pakistan. The duo were known throughout the world as the Indo-Pak Express.
Back in 2010, Bopanna and Qureshi won their first ATP doubles title by defeating Karol Beck and Harel Levy in the final of the SA Tennis Open. Later that year the pair made it to the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam event for the first time in their careers at the Wimbledon championships.
Successes of the Indo-Pak Express
In 2011 the Indo-Pak Express won their first ATP World Tour Masters title when they outclassed Julien Benneteau and Nicolas Mahut 6-2, 6-4 in the final of the BNP-Paribas Masters. Many other noteworthy victories followed and the pair became one of the most talked about combinations in world tennis.
After several successful years, the duo parted ways to seek greener pastures elsewhere. They teamed up again in 2021 but the earlier spark was missing during the second partnership. However, Bopanna has also formed good combinations with Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza, among others. In 2023 Sania and Bopanna reached the final of the Australian Open before losing.
Heaped with awards
For his efforts in bridging political barriers through sports, Rohan Bopanna was nominated in 2010 as a Champion for Peace by the Monaco-based organization Peace And Sport. This organisation is recognised globally for its campaign “Stop War Start Tennis”. Bopanna and Qureshi were awarded the renowned Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year award.
In India, he has been honoured with the Arjuna Award and the Padma Shri. Indian tennis would be poorer without his services and fighting spirit. Seldom does any sport have a player who can last as long and be as self-motivated as Bopanna. But tennis pundits are hoping that he will stay in touch with Indian tennis and be a mentor to the newcomers in the game.
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