Monalika Medatwal
Rohan Bopanna, the Indian tennis player, has created a historic milestone in the Grand Slam circuit by advancing to the finals of the Australian Open 2024 men’s doubles event partnering with Matthew Ebden.
This triumph in the quarter and semi-finals not only showcases his exceptional skill but also sets Bopanna on a path to become the world’s No. 1 men’s doubles player.
Remarkably, at 43 years of age, he will be the oldest player ever to achieve the top ranking the sport’s history when the rankings are updated next week.
Bopanna, who first reached his then career-high rank of No. 3 in 2013, joins the elite list of Indian players such as Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, and Sania Mirza, who have achieved the world No. 1 rank in doubles.
This achievement follows less than a year after Bopanna became the oldest man to reach a Grand Slam final in the Open era, alongside Ebden in the US Open 2023, despite their loss in the final. Having Made his professional debut over two decades ago Bopanna’s career has been marked by sustained excellence and longevity Entering the Australian Open 2024 ranked No. 3, Bopanna’s progress to the semi-finals ensures his ascent to the No. 1 spot, while his partner Ebden will secure the No. 2 position in the men’s doubles rankings.
The Indo-Australian pair, seeded second, displayed a commanding performance with a 6-4, 7-6 (5) win over the sixth-seeded Gonzalez and Molteni, concluding the match in an hour and 46 minutes.
Now, they also defeated unseeded duo of Tomas Machac and Zhizhen Zhang in the semi-finals registering his first win as the World No. 1 by 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (10-7) to reach the finals. Bopanna’s ascent breaks the record previously held by Rajeev Ram of the USA, who became the world’s oldest No. 1 ranked player at 30 in October 2022.