Rohan Bopanna wins the Australian Open, becomes the oldest Grand Slam winner ever

The Rod Laver Arena witnessed history being created as Rohan Bopanna became the oldest tennis player to win a grand slam on Saturday, January 27. In a thrilling final, Bopanna and his partner Matthew Ebden beat their opponents, Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori.

The match which lasted an hour and thirty-nine minutes, saw Bopanna and Ebden get the better of their Italian counterparts with a score of 7-6 (7-0), 7-5.

It has been a dream week for 43-year-old Rohan Bopanna. Apart from winning the men’s doubles crown at the Australian Open 2024, the Indian tennis legend ascended to the top of the world rankings and claimed the number one spot. Bopanna was also awarded the Padma Shri a day ago.

A closer look at the Australian Open men’s doubles final

India’s Rohan Bopanna and his Australian partner, Matthew Ebden, took on the Italian duo of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori in the final of the Australian Open 2024.

The first set of the match began with both pairs holding on to their serve and not dropping a game. While Bopanna and Ebden relied heavily on their first serve, Bolelli and Vavassori provided a stoic defense to counter the Indo-Australian pair’s attack.

With neither pair giving their opponents a chance to break, the first game quickly went to a tiebreaker. Bopanna, who looked to be the more aggressive and positive of all four players on the court, provided his partner with the motivation needed in the crucial moments. The tiebreaker saw Bopanna and Ebden play brilliant shots and completely outplay their opponents, claiming the win with a 7-0 scoreline.

The second set had a very similar start to the first, with both pairs keeping their serve intact. The World No. 1 Indo-Australian pair maintained their advantage with a powerful serve, winning 82% of their first serve rallies. They also kept a relentless attack going and waited to capitalize on any mistake their opponents made.

Their breakthrough finally came when the games were level at 5–5. Bopanna and Ebden broke and then secured the subsequent game, winning the game, set, match, and championship.

This title was Rohan Bopanna’s first Grand Slam in the men’s doubles event and his second in his career, and it also made him the first Indian to secure a Grand Slam title since Bopanna himself last won in 2017.