After an iconic 20-year journey at the highest level, Indian tennis legend Rohan Bopanna has officially bid farewell to professional tennis. The doubles maestro contested his final men’s doubles match at the Paris Masters alongside Alexander Bublik, but they lost to John Peers and James Tracy in the opening round.
It was indeed an emotional moment after the former doubles’ world No. 1’s announced the news, prompting heartfelt tributes from several big names, including his former partner Ben Shelton, 24-time Major champion Novak Djokovic, Taylor Townsend and many others.
Ben Shelton, Novak Djokovic, Taylor Townsend and Others Pour Their Wishes After Rohan Bopanna’s Retirement Announcement
The 45-year-old’s illustrious career features two Grand Slam titles: the 2017 French Open mixed doubles with Gabriela Dabrowski and an Australian Open men’s doubles triumph alongside Matthew Ebden, seven years later.
His resume also includes four Grand Slam runner-up finishes: two in men’s doubles (the 2010 US Open with Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and the 2023 US Open with Ebden) and two in mixed doubles (the 2018 Australian Open with Timea Babos and the 2023 Australian Open with Sania Mirza).
“How do you bid farewell to something that gave your life its meaning? After 20 unforgettable years on tour, however, it’s my time… I’m officially hanging up my racquet,” A part of his emotional Instagram message read.
Bopanna had amassed a whopping 26 tour-level titles during his illustrious career, and his triumph at the 2024 Australian Open propelled him to the world No. 1 spot for the first time. It is also worth noting that the Indian reached the feat at 43, thus becoming the oldest player to hold the helm of the rankings.
“Starting my journey from a small town of Coorg in India, chopping blocks of wood to strengthen my serve, jogging through coffee estates to build stamina and chasing dreams on cracked courts to standing under the lights of the biggest arenas in the world, it all feels surreal,” he added.
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The outpouring of messages followed with world No. 6 Shelton writing:
“Legend! Loved playing ball with you,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, doubles world No. 2 Townsend echoed somewhat similar sentiments as she wrote:
“Loved all the battles!! You are a legend! 🙏❤️”
Several other top stars, including Ons Jabeur, Hubert Hurkacz, Arina Rodionova, and former Swedish player Mirjam Björklund, as well as India’s tennis legend Sania Mirza, congratulated Bopanna, celebrating the beginning of a new chapter in the Indian legend’s life.
Canadian star Denis Shapovalov also delivered a heartfelt tribute, expressing his privilege to have been mentored by the 45-year-old and admitting his disbelief that Bopanna’s remarkable run had come to an end.
“Honoured to have shared the court with you and to have been a small part of your incredible career. And super grateful to have had you as my mentor and friend on tour, I’ll never forget all the fun memories we shared! P.S. I’m still not convinced you’re actually retiring!”
Meanwhile, 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic also congratulated Bopanna on his splendid career by sharing his on-court interview from the 2024 Australian Open.
“Congrats for a splendid career Bops,” he captioned his Instagram story.
Bopanna’s professional journey, which began in 2003, saw him capture doubles titles alongside 15 different partners. He lifted his maiden trophy in Los Angeles in 2008 with Eric Butorac and ultimately amassed 539 tour-level victories.