In the history of tennis, few careers embody resilience, reinvention, and sheer perseverance like Rohan Bopanna’s.
At 45, when most athletes have long retired, Bopanna has not only stayed relevant but reached the pinnacle of his sport becoming the oldest World No. 1 in men’s doubles and the oldest Grand Slam champion in the Open Era. His journey is not just a tennis story; it is a case study in rewriting the rules of athletic longevity.
Born on March 4, 1980, in Bangalore, Bopanna grew up in Coorg before making his mark in professional tennis in the early 2000s. Initially, he tried to carve a path in singles, peaking at World No. 213 in 2007. But his towering serve, sharp volleys, and instincts made him a natural in doubles. The switch defined his career. His breakthrough came with Pakistan’s Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, forming the iconic “Indo-Pak Express.” Their 2010 U.S. Open final run was historic, both on and off the court.
Their campaign, coupled with the Stop War, Start Tennis initiative, turned them into global ambassadors for peace. That season, they were honored with the Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year award, cementing Bopanna’s reputation as more than just an athlete.
Career of Consistency and Adaptability
Through the 2010s, Bopanna became a dependable force in men’s doubles, winning titles with a variety of partners. By 2013, he reached a career-high doubles ranking of World No. 3, proving his adaptability. His mixed doubles success arrived in 2017 at Roland Garros, where he partnered Gabriela Dabrowski for his first Grand Slam trophy. Over two decades, he collected 27 ATP titles across all tiers from ATP 250s to Masters 1000s and over 500 match wins. Few players in the modern era have sustained this level of performance across such a long span.
Yet, it was in his forties that Bopanna unlocked the most remarkable phase of his career. By 2019, chronic knee issues threatened to end his journey. With cartilage damage forcing him onto daily painkillers, retirement loomed large. But the COVID-19 pandemic provided an unlikely lifeline. Bopanna discovered Iyengar Yoga, a discipline that emphasized alignment, posture, and strengthening support muscles. It changed his body and his game. Freed from pain and bolstered by renewed agility, he paired with Matthew Ebden in 2023. Their partnership turned into a fairytale run.
Together, they captured the Qatar Open and Indian Wells Masters, with Bopanna becoming the oldest Masters champion in history. Later that year, he returned to the U.S. Open final 13 years after his first appearance there. The pinnacle came at the 2024 Australian Open, where Bopanna finally lifted his first men’s doubles Grand Slam. At 43, he became the oldest male Grand Slam champion in the Open Era, a feat soon followed by his ascension to World No. 1. In doing so, he redefined what was possible in tennis.
The U.S. Open Connection
No tournament has chronicled Bopanna’s journey quite like the U.S. Open. From his 2010 final run with Qureshi to his 2023 finalist appearance with Ebden, the New York major has been both the stage of heartbreak and redemption. Across 16 years, he registered semifinal, final, and multiple quarterfinal appearances proof of his enduring relevance in one of tennis’s most competitive arenas. While yoga restored his physical base, it was a mental reset that drove his renaissance.
Encouraged by his wife Supriya’s mantra “Change limitations into opportunities” Bopanna stopped viewing age and injuries as barriers. Instead, he embraced them as catalysts for transformation. This mindset not only prolonged his playing career but gave him a calmer, more assured presence on court. His leadership, resilience, and perspective now resonate far beyond tennis.
Bopanna’s impact is not confined to his results. Through the Rohan Bopanna Tennis Academy in Bangalore, he has invested in developing Indian talent. His voice has also been vital in defending the doubles discipline against critics who dismiss it as secondary. In a pointed response to Reilly Opelka’s controversial remarks about doubles, Bopanna highlighted how the format had enabled him to fund education initiatives and transform lives. His career stands as a powerful rebuttal to the idea that doubles is an afterthought. For Bopanna, doubles is not just a career it’s a platform to make an impact.
Having retired from Davis Cup and multi-sport national duties after Paris 2024, Bopanna’s ATP journey continues. The search for a consistent partner remains his latest challenge, following the end of his celebrated partnership with Ebden. Yet, if history is any indicator, Bopanna will adapt again. Rohan Bopanna’s career is more than statistics. It is a story of late bloom, resilience, and reinvention. At an age when most athletes fade into retirement, he has carved out the most successful chapter of his journey.
His legacy will inspire not just Indian tennis, but athletes across sports who wonder if their best days are behind them.
In Bopanna’s case, the best came when nobody expected it. And that, perhaps, is his greatest triumph.
