Opinion Express View on Rohan Bopanna: World No 1

Defying both age and expectations, India’s top-ranked tennis player who has ensured consistent representation at the Grand Slams in the past few years, Rohan Bopanna, became the men’s doubles World No 1 at the Australian Open. Bopanna made history as the oldest World No 1, in any discipline, after reaching the summit of the sport at the age of 43. With a win away from another Grand Slam title, he has proved that age is just a number.

With a big serve and solid forehand, Bopanna was never a typical modern tennis talent in a generation that increasingly veered towards baseline rallies and athleticism. Having pivoted to doubles early in his career, he won four Masters 1,000 titles and a maiden Grand Slam title in mixed doubles. But as he approached 40, injuries and physical issues began to take their toll, and it was Bopanna’s emphasis on staying mentally and physically fit that helped him recover from career-threatening knee injuries. His transformation paid off with a late-career resurgence as he reached the US Open final 13 years after his first last year, and he has now become the fourth Indian, after Sania Mirza, Leander Paes, and Mahesh Bhupathi, to become double World No 1.

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Doubles, especially on the men’s side, no longer has the same star power as the days when Martina Navratilova, John McEnroe, and Steffi Graf used to be the main draws. Eyeballs are far fewer as the doubles format has struggled to captivate fans even as singles tennis veered towards powerful displays of athleticism. For reaching the semifinal, Bopanna will earn less than what women’s singles World No 1 Iga Swiatek pocketed for her shock third-round collapse. While that may put things into perspective, it is to Bopanna’s credit that he was able to exploit the gaps in the doubles game and make a triumphant return straight to the top of the pile. A first men’s doubles Grand Slam title will be the next step.