Rohan Bopanna Bids Goodbye to Tennis After Two Decades of Global Wins and National Pride
Indian tennis veteran Rohan Bopanna has retired after a 20-year career that included Grand Slam titles, Davis Cup heroics, and a World No. 1 ranking.
Aadrika Tayal 
New Delhi (India) November 2: On Saturday, the 2-time Grand Slam champion announced his retirement. Bopanna is 45 years old. He was a solid doubles player. He became the country’s fourth number one doubles player last year, after Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, and Sania Mirza.
Bopanna posted, “After 20 unforgettable years on tour however, it’s time… I’m officially hanging up my racquet,” on his Instagram account.
2024 is the year in which Bopanna was awarded the Padam Shri in the field of sports. He was awarded by the President Draupadi Murmu in 2024.
Officials Laud His Legacy
Sunder Iyer, the interim secretary of the All India Athletic Organization explained that the organization played a key part in elevating tennis in India.
He said, “We are proud of Rohan Bopanna for what he has done for the country. He has kept the tri-colour flying high for so many years.”
“Personally, I know him well. When he was 15, he was in Pune (training at the Nandan Bal Tennis Academy). I saw him then as a junior, and have since watched him grow into a magnificent player,” Iyer added.
Legend's Praise for Bopanna
International Tennis Hall of Fame inductee Vijay Amritraj appreciated Bopanna for a “fantastic career”.
He said, “Rohan’s commitment to the sport, discipline on court, huge serve, and ability to play alongside an incredible number of partners is a remarkable achievement. I congratulate Rohan on a fantastic career. I truly hope that he will stay involved with the sport, and encourage and train future champions to play for India in both the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup.”
Memorable Davis Cup and Grand Slam Moments
After winning the men’s doubles trophy at the Australian Open with Matthew Ebden, he became the oldest to accomplish the feat. He won his first Grand Slam at the 2007 French Open mixed doubles, partnering Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski.
He completed 26 ATP victories on Saturday, including six Masters 1000 victories. Bopanna has long carried Indian melodies in the Davis Cup. He made his Davis Cup debut in 2002 and has often had to balance two responsibilities of a single player and a doubles player on the team. Among his openers was a five-set win over Japan’s junior bet Kei Nishikori that led his nation to a 3-2 victory in 2008. An eventual victory in 2010 over Brazil’s top-100 star Ricardo Mello made him take India to the World Group since 1998.
Bopanna’s Efforts to Nurture Future Indian Talent
To promote the sport in India, Bopanna initiated the ‘Doubles Dream of India’ project in 2013 in collaboration with Pune Metropolitan Tennis Center and KPIT Technologies. It will provide assistance to premier Indian tennis talents, including accompanying coaches and physiotherapy gurus. Bambri, N. Sriram Balaji, and Divij Sharan have been benefactors.
