NEW DELHI, Jan 25
He almost gave up tennis a few years ago. He says he has no cartilage left in his knees. But, 43-year-old Rohan Bopanna stands tall today, head and shoulders above his much younger compatriots and contemporaries.
He is on the cusp of his maiden men’s doubles Grand Slam title, having beaten Tomas Machac and Zhang Zhizhen in the semifinal of the Australian Open today, with his Australian partner Matthew Ebden. This after he was assured of becoming the world no. 1 in doubles rankings when he and Ebden made the semis on Wednesday.
The second-seeded Indo-Australian pair put their experience of playing Super Tie Breakers to full use, beating Machac-Zhizhen 6-3 3-6 7-6 (10-7) in two hours and two minutes.
Bopanna had become the oldest ATP Masters 1000 champion last year when he won the Indian Wells doubles crown with Ebden, and also became the oldest to win a match at the ATP Finals.
Determination, and a strict programme of daily ice baths and massages kept him going despite his cartilages being almost worn out completely. He credits his full-time physio Rebecca Van Orshaegen for keeping him up and running. Serve-and-volley, which was his trademark in his early career in singles, had to take a backseat because of his knees, but he adjusted his doubles game accordingly, and soldiered on.
Bopanna trusts his support team, which includes his long-time coach Scott Davidoff, with his body and focuses on the mental aspect. “I do not look to lift heavy, just do yoga. I feel mental strength helps me,” PTI quoted him as saying.
The Coorg lad, who often jokes that the coffee from his plantation is the cause of his success and longevity, said that he told Orshaegen what exactly he needs.
“I said, no matter what happens, even if the days we are practising and I am not 100 per cent fit, that’s fine. I want to feel 100 per cent fit during these matches. That’s the commitment I had made when I decided to play with Matt (Ebden),” Reuters quoted him as saying.
In 2017, he considered hanging up his racquet because his troublesome knees and back, which he was keeping at bay with painkillers. But the year also saw him winning his first Grand Slam, clinching the mixed doubles title with Canada’s Gaby Dabrowski.
Bopanna reached the US Open final, too, in 2023, but failed at the final hurdle, just like in 2013.
Come Saturday, Bopanna will have a chance to set the record straight when he and Ebden take on A. Vavassori and S. Bolelli of Italy.
