Last man standing: By reaching the head when the sport is extra athletic and extra highly effective than ever earlier than, Bopanna has carved a area of interest for himself and made a lasting impression.
In latest instances, Indian tennis hasn’t had many success tales. But previously week, it has had two crowning glories, each courtesy Rohan Bopanna.
On Wednesday, with his quarterfinal victory on the Australian Open, the 43-year-old assured himself of the No.1 spot in world doubles rankings, the oldest man to occupy the coveted place. On Saturday, he received his maiden males’s doubles Major to develop into the oldest to take action.
Sporting excellence within the fifth decade of 1’s life isn’t commonplace. It’s a interval when age, alongside with bodily frailties, makes the tip of the profession really feel nigh, forces athletes to mirror and be nostalgic in regards to the good previous previous, and take into consideration passing on the teachings thus learnt to future generations.
Time, nevertheless, has treated Bopanna with a tenderness that defies reason and logic. He has completed semifinalist or higher in males’s doubles in 4 of the final seven Slams he has entered. In 2023, he competed in any respect 4 Majors, all 9 ATP Masters 1000s, a bunch of ATP 500s and 250s, and in Davis Cup for India.
An ode to consistency
Bopanna might have secured simply two titles final season, however he made eight finals in all, and certified for the season-ending ATP Finals, an ode to his consistency. Modern science and higher diet do assist, however to take care of an unreal stage of motivation, have the zeal to coach day by day, recuperate and journey the world, whereas all alongside not shedding perspective about issues he can and can not do speaks volumes about his psychological energy.
Between Bopanna’s first and second Slam doubles last, there was a 13-year hole (2010 US Open to 2023 US Open). Between his two earlier career-high rankings, there was a decade’s hole (No.3 in 2013 to No.3 in 2023). His solely earlier success at Majors got here when he received the 2017 French Open combined doubles with Gabriela Dabrowski.
Alternative approaches
But the burly man from Coorg has persevered, regardless of being misplaced at instances in that frightful area between hope and despair. He doesn’t possess explosive athleticism, has shed cartilage in his knees and can not hit the health club. So he has turned to yoga for health and swimming for endurance.
If ever there was any doubt that this adjustment would depart him at a drawback, the Australian Open last banished it, as he showcased a full array of highly effective serves, dynamic lunges and razor-sharp reflexes, qualities that collect rust with each passing day.
In India, a doubles practitioner is all the time judged towards impossibly excessive requirements. Where in singles within the final three a long time, simply two gamers have received back-to-back primary draw matches at Slams (Leander Paes and Sania Mirza), in doubles there have been three World No.1s — Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania — who’ve collectively lifted 15 doubles and 21 combined doubles Majors.
Bopanna has one in every class. Yet, by reaching the head when the sport is extra athletic and extra highly effective than ever earlier than, and the format fickle — with complete units being changed by tie-breakers on the ATP Tour — Bopanna has carved a area of interest for himself and made a lasting impression.
