Rohan Bopanna won the Australian Open alongside Matthew Ebden on Monday, propelling him to the top of the doubles rankings for the first time ever.
Rohan Bopanna, an Indian tennis star, moved to World No. 1 in the doubles rankings for the first time on Monday after winning the Australian Open with Matthew Ebden, according to the ATP. Bopanna became the oldest first-time World No. 1 at 43 years old, and the third Indian to do it (after Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, with whom he won two titles). “This was something India needed. “We don’t have many tennis players coming up,” stated Bopanna, as quoted by ATP. “Sport is gradually becoming popular. I believe it will just inspire a lot of people.
I don’t think just about tennis. People all across the world, aged 40 and up, I believe, will be inspired in a different way,” he continued.
On Saturday, Bopanna won his first men’s doubles Grand Slam at the Australian Open 2024, propelling him up two positions in the ATP rankings.
He began the season’s first major tied for third place, a spot he had previously held in 2013. Bopanna and Ebden defeated Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni in the quarter-finals, sealing the Indian’s rise to World No. 1 despite encountering hurdles along the way.
“I believe that my ability to become World No. 1 is a result of my dedication to the sport, my ability to stick with it, my ability to fight, my hard work, and having such a wonderful partner at my side. This helped me get to this point, I think, because of the steady year we had last year,” Bopanna remarked.
Bopanna and Ebden have a terrific relationship that started at the beginning of the 2023 season.
They qualified for the coveted ATP Finals in their first year together, Bopanna for his fourth and Ebden for his first.
“Looking back, it would have been incredible if we had played for a longer time, but for now, we are content with where we are, so I don’t think there are many major issues. As a team, you develop. The Indian stated, “I believe we have also learnt from each other about what works for us, what our strengths are, and how we may develop.
Bopanna and Ebden are tied for the most ATP Doubles Rankings points, but Bopanna’s advantage stems from having participated in three less tournaments. Ebden congratulated his friend on their achievement.
As we began our cooperation more than a year ago, we discussed it, and it was one of our main goals. Our goals were very clear: “I want to win the big tournaments, the Slams, and I want to get to World No. 1.” This is just one more item that we have checked off throughout the past year. A significant accomplishment. Considering his age, it’s a fantastic thing for Bops,” Ebden remarked.
