Most men experience a general decline in energy and enthusiasm as they approach their 40s, but a few, like Rohan Bopanna, continue to set world records in sports. That is true! He is aging gracefully and with dignity.
Indian tennis player Rohan Bopanna has reached the top of the world rankings. He is a doubles tennis specialist who, at 43, became the oldest player to be ranked number one for the first time. He and Matthew Ebden won the doubles title at the Australian Open in 2024. In fact, many of Rohan Bopanna’s professional tennis wins have occurred after the age of 35.
Personal Life
Born in Bangalore on March 4, 1980, Rohan Bopanna spent his early years in Coorg, where his father was a coffee plantation owner. At age eleven, he began playing tennis. When he was younger, he also liked to play hockey and football, but his father preferred him to focus on individual sports. At the age of 19, he began playing tennis professionally.
Rohan Bopanna tied the knot with Supriya Annaiah in 2012. Their wedding was a close ceremony with close friends and family. They’ve been married for almost 11 years.
This tennis player primarily makes money from sponsorship deals and prize money. The estimated net worth of Rohan Bopanna is $5 million. His life’s ambition is to win Wimbledon, which is also his favorite tournament. Stefan Edberg is his favorite player.
Social Work
Apart from being one of the finest tennis players, he is also very active in social work. He donates a part of his profits to the ‘GoSports Foundation,’ a non-profit organization. It supports sportspeople in the country, with whom he works towards building an environment for excellent sports.
He raises money for an opportunity school in his hometown of Coorg, which aims to educate kids with physical disabilities. Additionally, Rohan Bopanna is a member of the Coorg Institute of Dental Sciences, which provides extremely affordable medical care to underprivileged people and hosts a number of free health and awareness events.
The Rohan Bopanna Tennis Academy (RBTA) at “The Sports School, Bangalore” provides young children with access to tennis coaching of a worldwide standard. The primary goals of RBTA are to promote overall sports fitness, holistic sports development, and tennis skill improvement. The academy offers education and life skills in addition to helping to develop athletic skills.
Achievements of Rohan Bopanna
Rohan Bopanna is one of the longest-serving names in the history of Indian tennis. He has etched his name in the books by surpassing the record made by American tennis player Mike Bryan, who was 41 years old. Rohan Bopanna ranked 1st worldwide in men’s doubles and redefined the standards of longevity and excellence in sports.
Rohan Bopanna’s ATP Tour Titles
Over his career, Rohan Bopanna has won numerous ATP doubles titles. His partnership with Pakistani tennis player Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi was fruitful for him. Between 2010 and 2014, the IndoPak Express team won five titles collectively. They even participated in Rohan’s maiden ATP Masters title, the 2011 Paris Masters.
At the age of 43, Rohan surpassed Canada’s Daniel Nestor’s record of being the oldest tennis player to win an ATP 1000 master title. With Ebden’s partnership, Rohan Bopanna’s rating improved after winning the Miami Open in 2024.
Rohan Bopanna’s Davis Cup Journey
He was a member of the Indian Davis Cup team from 2002 to 2023. He participated in 33 ties over these two decades, winning 33 games overall, 13 of which were doubles. Bopanna bid a tearful goodbye to the Davis Cup in 2023 after leading India to victory against Morocco in their World Group II match.
Rohan Bopanna at Grand Slams
In 2006, Bopanna made his Grand Slam debut. With full speed, the Bopanna-Qureshi pair progressed to the Wimbledon quarterfinals and the US Open men’s doubles final. Although they lost the championship match, they successfully communicated goodwill between India and Pakistan off the court.
In 2017, he eventually won his first tennis major at the French Open. Together with Canadian partner Gabriela Dabrowski, he took home the mixed doubles title. With this victory, Rohan Bopanna joined an elite group of four Indians to win a Grand Slam.
Together with Timea Babos and Sania Mirza, he played in the mixed doubles finals of the Australian Open in 2018 and 2023, respectively. He even participated in the 2023 US Open alongside Matthew Ebden; sadly, he lost all three.
Lastly, he set a world record in the men’s doubles title at the Australian Open 2024 when he and Matthew Ebden won a Grand Slam in the Open Era.
Rohan Bopanna at the Olympics
At the London 2012 Olympics, Rohan Bopanna represented India and partnered with Mahesh Bhupathi for the men’s doubles competition, reaching the second round. At the Rio 2016 Olympics, Rohan partnered with Sania Mirza in the mixed doubles competition and made it to the semifinals.
Other Medals and Titles
The Karnataka government gave Rohan Bopanna the Ekalavya Award in 2005 in honor of his accomplishments on the court. Along with Sania Mirza, he won the 2006 Asian Hopman Cup, which served as a qualifier for the 2007 Asian Hopman Cup.
India’s men’s doubles tennis team, led by Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan, won a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang.
The Arjuna Award, India’s second-highest sports award, was given to Rohan Bopanna in 2019. Additionally, he was recently awarded the Padma Shri in 2024.
In Indian tennis, Rohan has shown incredible dedication and perseverance. Bopanna may be getting older, but he doesn’t appear to be slowing down just yet. Bopanna’s Grand Slam victory was an important turning point in Indian tennis history and strengthened his place among the top players in the nation.
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