- Rohan Bopanna, at 43, could become the oldest men’s doubles player to achieve World No. 1.
- A quarterfinal victory with partner Matthew Ebden puts them on the brink of historic success.
- Bopanna’s legacy includes breaking records and eyeing further milestones in tennis.
At the Australian Open 2024, Indian tennis veteran Rohan Bopanna, aged 43, is on the brink of making history as the oldest player to achieve the World No. 1 ranking in men’s doubles. Bopanna, partnering with Australian Matthew Ebden, secured their place in the semifinals after a convincing victory over the sixth-seeded Argentinian duo of Máximo González and Andrés Molteni.
The quarterfinal clash, lasting an hour and 46 minutes, saw Bopanna and Ebden clinch a 6-4, 7-6 (5) win, setting the stage for a potentially historic achievement. The Indo-Australian pair, seeded second in the tournament, is now set to face unseeded Tomas Machac and Zhizhen Zhang in the semifinals.
If Bopanna and Ebden manage to secure victory in the semifinals, Bopanna will officially be crowned the new World No. 1 in men’s doubles on January 29, making him the oldest player ever to achieve this prestigious ranking. This achievement would surpass the record set by Rajeev Ram of the USA, who became the oldest player to attain the top spot at the age of 38 in October 2022.
Bopanna, who entered the Australian Open with a career-high ranking of world No. 3, is no stranger to breaking records. In 2013, he became the fourth Indian player, following in the footsteps of Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, and Sania Mirza, to take the world number one rank in doubles.
His partnership with Matthew Ebden has proven to be successful, with the duo recently finishing as runners-up in the US Open final last year. Bopanna, who won the mixed doubles title at the French Open in 2017 with Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski, is determined to add a men’s doubles title to his illustrious career. His feat at the US Open last year also marked him as the oldest-ever Grand Slam finalist.
Matthew Ebden, Bopanna’s partner in this remarkable journey, is set to reach the world No. 2 ranking, reflecting the strength of their partnership on the doubles court.
As Bopanna prepares for the semifinals and the possibility of claiming the top spot, tennis enthusiasts around the world eagerly await the outcome that could etch the name of the Indian tennis stalwart in the annals of the sport’s history.
