By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday January 27, 2024
43-year-old Rohan Bopanna became the oldest men's doubles Slam champion in Open Era history, pairing with Matthew Ebden to take the title.
Photo Source: Getty
Rohan Bopanna made history for himself, his country and men’s tennis on Saturday night in Melbourne.
The 43-year-old became the oldest man to ever win a Grand Slam men’s doubles title in the Open Era when he and partner Matthew Ebden took out Italy’s Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori 7-6(0), 7-5 to win the Australian Open title.
“Without a doubt the best moment in my career,” Bopanna told the media. “I mean, there are so many, so many thoughts which are running. Yeah, the head is like as if it's ready to explode…”
Saturday’s final marked Bopanna’s third career Slam final, with his first coming thirteen years ago at the US Open, and his most recent last year, also at the US Open, and also with Ebden. Bopanna became the oldest man to win a major doubles title by more than three years, eclipsing Jean-Julien Roger, who won Roland-Garros alongside Marcelo Arevalo in 2022 at the age of 40.
Ebden won his second major doubles title, and his first since Wimbledon in 2022.
“Age is not a number for this guy,” Ebden said of Bopanna. “He is young at heart. He is a champion and a warrior. He has fought hard alongside me the past year and I am forever grateful to him."
Bopanna and Ebden won all seven tiebreakers they played across their six victories in Melbourne.
Bopanna is the third Indian man in the Open Era to win a major men’s doubles title, joining Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi. He will also become the oldest No. 1 in the Pepperstone ATP Doubles Rankings on Monday.