Indian tennis star Rohan Bopanna, at the age of 43, has etched his name in history by becoming the oldest World No. 1 in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) doubles rankings. Bopanna’s milestone follows an outstanding victory in the men’s doubles quarterfinals of the 2024 Australian Open.
Teaming up with Australia’s Matthew Ebden, Bopanna faced the Argentinian duo of Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni in a thrilling quarter final clash. The Indian-Aussie pair secured a convincing 6-4, 7-6 (5) win, dominating from the outset and sealing the first set in just half an hour.
Bopanna’s ascent to the top of the ATP rankings surpasses the previous record held by Rajeev Ram of the USA, who achieved the No. 1 spot at the age of 38 in October 2022. The veteran Indian’s journey to the summit adds to his illustrious career, which began over two decades ago.
Historic so far
Less than a year ago, Bopanna made history by becoming the oldest man to qualify for a Grand Slam final in the Open era, reaching the US Open 2023 final alongside partner Ebden. Now, with a career-high ranking of No. 3 entering the Australian Open, Bopanna is set to claim the No. 1 spot in the upcoming rankings update.
Bopanna and Ebden are set to face China’s Zhizhen Zhang and Czech Republic’s Tomas Machac in the semi-final round, aiming to secure their spot in the tournament’s final. As the Indian tennis maestro stands just two wins away from a maiden Grand Slam trophy in men’s doubles, the sports world eagerly awaits the continuation of Bopanna’s historic journey in the Australian Open.