Renaissance Man: In twilight of his career, Rohan Bopanna steps out of shadows of Indian greats with US Open final appearance | Tennis News

For a player that has spent most of the last two decades at the elite level of professional sport – including 20 years of Davis Cup ties and back-to-back appearances at the Olympics – Rohan Bopanna has, for the most part, shown nothing but pride that most of his records are prefixed with the word ‘oldest.’Earlier this year, after he and Ebden won the prestigious Indian Wells Masters – known in tennis circles as the ‘fifth Grand Slam’ – he became the oldest player to win a Masters 1000 title. Shortly after, at 43, he became the oldest player in the top 10 of the world rankings. And reaching the final on Friday, he became the oldest player to reach a Grand Slam men’s doubles final in the Open Era.The veteran Indian and his Australian partner Matthew Ebden came up short in the US Open final, losing to the third-seeded pairing of Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury 6-2, 3-6, 4-6 on Friday.
Matthew Ebden of Australia and Rohan Bopanna of India celebrate after match point against Nicolas Mahut of France and Pierre-Hugues Herbert of France (both not pictured) on day eleven of the 2023 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. (USA Today)
It was Bopanna’s first appearance in the men’s doubles final of a Major since 2010 when he played – and lost – the summit clash at the same venue alongside Pakan’s Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi.
While speaking to The Indian Express before his 14th appearance at Wimbledon in July, Bopanna was blunt in his belief of what has led to his longevity at the top level of the sport.

In the game of tennis, as in life, age is not a barrier but a milestone of experience and resilience. Rohan, at 43, you’ve proven that the spirit of a champion only grows stronger with time. Best wishes to you and Matthew for the finals – may your racquets speak the language of… pic.twitter.com/FfsVQSixAe
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) September 8, 2023
“Mental strength, I think, is my biggest strength,” he said. “It’s what has helped me grow over the years and sustain it. If I go into a tournament and feel like I am serving well, or my forehand is firing, I find ways to use those things to win matches. And all of it comes from the mind. It’s the thing that’s kept me fresh, adapting to new challenges, and doing new things to keep going.”
Every inch of that mental resilience was on display throughout Bopanna’s remarkable US Open run, especially in the final.
Ebden, a former top 50 singles player, played the role of the aggressor as his command over the baseline, angled returns and hand skills at the net, amply supported the veteran’s booming serve and occasional shotmaking mastery – a few screaming winners down-the-line going into his career highlight reel – to combine for the kind of point construction that is a testament to their successful partnership this year.
L-R) Matthew Ebden of Australia and Rohan Bopanna of India celebrate between points against Nicolas Mahut of France and Pierre-Hugues Herbert of France (both not pictured) on day eleven of the 2023 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
However, momentum shifted midway through the second – and stayed that way – as Ram and Salisbury raised their level and broke Bopanna to take the set. In the first game of the third, Bopanna was down 0-40 on serve, before coming up with two big serves, an outrageous forehand lob, and an angled crosscourt forehand winner to steal the game. But after failing to convert three break points of their own, Bopanna was broken in the sixth game of the decider, and Ram and Salisbury served it out from there.
Yoga-led comeback
Bopanna’s aforementioned records not only speak to the incredible physical resilience of the Indian, but also to the unquestionable effectiveness of the hefty amount of work that has gone into keeping his body and mind fit and fresh, including an emphasis on recovery over hardcore training, investment into a travelling physio, and an unlikely renaissance thanks to yoga.
Having pivoted to doubles early, Bopanna spent most of the 2010s as one of the consent players on the tour, winning 4 Masters 1000 titles and reaching the 2010 US Open final alongside Pakan’s Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi. He won a maiden Grand Slam title in mixed doubles at the French Open alongside Gabriela Dabrowski and reached another mixed doubles Major final at the 2018 Australian Open. But as he approached 40, injuries and physical issues continued to mount. Eventually, debilitating knee pain after he ruptured and lost cartilage in both his knees made him question his future as the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Rohan Bopanna of India and Matthew Ebden of Australia wave to the crowd after their match against Nicolas Mahut of France and Pierre-Hugues Herbert of France (both not pictured) on day eleven of the 2023 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
An unlikely turn to ‘Iyengar’ yoga not only helped with his knee pain but also helped him to mentally reset his mind during the lockdown-induced isolation. Instead of merely being about breathing, ‘Iyengar’ yoga has been described as ‘yoga as exercise’ which Bopanna credited for the strengthening of his muscles, building his mobility, and assing in recovery.
Since then, his physical fitness has been cared for meticulously alongside his long-term coach, Scott Davidoff, as well as Rebecca Van Orshaegen, the Belgian physio he has invested in to travel with him on tour this year. At his age, he has been focusing more on recovery than he has on endurance training.
“It (yoga) really made the difference,” Bopanna was quoted as saying the ATP. “I said ‘Okay’. Then when I started playing, I felt pain-free. And then that was a whole new ballgame.”
Understated among greats
Bopanna has not broken new ground at the US Open this year. It is not even his first Major final of the year. But the other one was overshadowed his mixed doubles partner – the Australian Open being the final Grand Slam of Sania Mirza’s career.
Mirza, perhaps rightly, took all the plaudits from that run, summarising Bopanna’s underplayed status among modern Indian tennis greats. He broke through during a time of larger-than-life personalities who dominated Indian tennis like few others.
Leander Paes won India’s second individual medal at the Olympics, winning men’s singles bronze at Atlanta 1996, before going on to become one of the all-time great doubles players, building a formidable partnership alongside Mahesh Bhupathi.

The trailblazing Mirza would follow them among tennis’s elite, shattering all sorts of stereotypes to become the most successful singles player India had since the 1980s, before going on to win six Grand Slam doubles titles.
In the shadow of the success and celebrity of the greats that came before him, Bopanna did not quite see the same fanfare or adoration. But, during a particularly barren run for Indian tennis – only two Indians, Ankita Raina and Sumit Nagal (both ranked 189th), are among the world’s top 200 singles players – Bopanna’s consency at the top level has never been appreciated more.Most Read
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For the understated veteran, a big send-off should be on the way at his final Davis Cup tie in Lucknow later this year.
Big assignments will follow; he will defend his gold medal at the Asian Games and will look to hold on to his place in the top 10 of the rankings to qualify for the Paris Olympics tennis events next year.
He will have another final crack at the ATP Finals, and another run at the Majors next year, after that. However, his 2023 season has already cemented his legacy.