Rohan BOPANNA

India

Tennis

Games Participations3

First Olympic GamesLondon 2012

Year of Birth1980

Social Media

Biography

A member of India’s Davis Cup team since 2002, Rohan Bopanna has two Grand Slam titles and six ATP Masters 1000 titles in his long career. The veteran, who is still going strong in his 40s, has also represented India at the 2012 and 2016 editions of the Olympics.

Bopanna has always been something of a 'slow burner': it wasn’t until he was 19 that he decided to pursue a career in tennis.

It was in doubles that the Bengaluru-born player began to set the tennis world alight, first coming to attention with a promising mixed doubles display alongside Sania Mirza at the 2007 Hopman Cup, where the duo finished runners-up behind Spain.

The same year Bopanna first partnered Pakistan’s Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi in 2007, a relationship that would go on to be a career-defining for both.

However it was not until 2010 that the duo - famously dubbed the "Indo-Pak Express" would began to get up to full speed, reaching the quarter finals at WImbledon and the men's doubles final at the US Open in a success-laden season.

In 2012 though, Bopanna decided to team up with compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi in order to forge a fruitful partnership ahead of the Olympics.

London 2012 proved to be a good learning for Bopanna, and although the Indian duo could not advance past the second round at the Olympics, they did manage to claim the Paris Masters title a few months later.

Four years later at Rio 2016, Bopanna came agonizingly close to clinching an Olympic medal alongside Sania Mirza in the mixed doubles competition.

After an opening round win over Australians Sam Stosur and John Peers, Mirza and Bopanna conjured an impressive win over men's Olympic champion Andy Murray and Heather Watson.

The win over the British duo set up a semi final encounter with American legend Venus William and Rajeev Ram.

The Indians came out on the wrong side of a hard-fought three set battle but still had a chance of a podium spot in the bronze medal playoff match.

However, Mirza and Bopanna had to settle for fourth place after losing in straight sets to the Czech Republic's Lucie Hradecka and Radek Stepanek, an experience Bopanna would later describe succinctly as "heartbreaking indeed."

But any lingering disappointment held by Bopanna was dispelled at the French Open in 2017, as he sealed his own special spot in Indian tennis history.

Alongside Canada's Gabriela Dabrowski, Bopanna would win his maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros - becoming only the fourth Indian to achieve such a feat.

More joy came in 2018, as Bopanna won the gold medal in the men's doubles at the 2018 Asian Games alongside compatriot Divij Sharan. He reached the mixed doubles final at the Australian Open 2023 with Sania Mirza and later that year, created history after winning the Indian Wells doubles event with Australian partner Matthew Ebden.

At 43, Rohan Bopanna became the oldest tennis player in history to win a ATP Masters 1000 title. He would go on to better his own record after winning the 2024 Miami Open title, also with Ebden.

At the Australian Open 2024, Bopanna became the oldest man in Open Era tennis to win a Grand Slam title, after clinching the men's doubles crown with Ebden.

He also became the oldest player to reach the world No. 1 in doubles tennis rankings. Although his years may be advancing, there is no sign of Bopanna slowing down yet.

Bopanna partnered with N Sriram Balaji for the men's doubles event at Paris 2024 but crashed out in the first round.

Following his Paris 2024 exit, Bopanna announced his retirement from international tennis, which means he will no longer represent India in multisport events and the Davis Cup.