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Bopanna scripts history at Australian Open
Bopanna and his Australian partner Matthew Ebden defeated Italy's Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori in the finals
Rohan Bopanna wins his first men's doubles Grand Slam title at the 2024 Australian Open / X/@narendramodi
Indian tennis player Rohan Bopanna won the men’s doubles finals on January 27 at the 2024 Australian Open in Melbourne, creating history as the oldest man, at 43 years and 329 days, to ever win a Grand Slam title in the Open Era.
Bopanna and his Australian partner Matthew Ebden defeated Italy's Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori in the finals, which positioned the Indian not only at the top of the ATP Doubles rankings but also as the oldest No. 1 player in history.
The match commenced with Bopanna-Ebden seizing an early 1-0 lead in the first set. While the Italians fought back, Bopanna-Ebden managed to lead by 2-1. As they reached a 4-3 advantage, the Italians tied the score at 5-5.But the second-seeded pair finished it 7-6(0).
The second set unfolded with Bolelli serving, claiming an early lead, and quickly levelling at 1-1. After strategic plays from both teams, the Indo-Australian pair sealed a 6-5 lead. Again reaching a tie-breaker in the second set, Bopanna-Ebden's flawless performance secured a 7-5 victory to close the set.
An inspiration at 43 years old
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) January 25, 2024
Rohan Bopanna becomes the oldest World No.1 in men's doubles history! pic.twitter.com/ECWc3b12lT
The official account of the Australian Open celebrated the winning duo. In a post on X, they wrote, “Look what it means to Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden. At 43, Bopanna has his FIRST Men's Doubles Grand Slam title - and becomes the oldest to do so in the Open Era.”
During the post-match presentation, Ebden expressed gratitude to Bopanna and congratulated his teammate on the historic win. Bopanna, in his turn, praised their opponents and credited his Aussie partner, expressing joy at winning his first men's doubles Grand Slam title.
Ebden said, “Thanks to my partner Rohan. He’s 43 years old and this is his first men’s Grand Slam doubles win. Age truly is not a number for this guy. He’s young at heart, he’s a champion, he’s a warrior.”
“Thank you to my lovely wife Supriya and my daughter Tritha. A few years ago, I sent her a video saying I am calling it quits because I hadn’t won a match in five months. I am glad I did not then," Bopanna who won the mixed doubles title at the 2017 French Open with his partner Gabriela Dabrowski, said post the win.
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