By Rahul Dixit
In the twilight of his career, when shadows kept inviting him to cool down, when muscles suggested a full-stop, when history called to adhere to set norms, Rohan Bopanna let his dream soar higher, much, much above all these thoughts. This determined flight of his resolute mind has now taken him to a zone where no one of his age had gone before. At the age of 43, Bopanna has created history, by becoming the oldest Grand Slam champion in the history of tennis when he lifted the doubles crown at the Australian Open with partner Matthew Ebden. This feat has another icing on the cake -- he has also become the World No. 1 in doubles category. If this does not make a tale of courage and fortitude for budding sportspersons, then they should call it quits even before attempting to step into the gruelling arena called international sports.
With his ascent to World No. 1 in doubles ranking and becoming the oldest champion to win a Grand Slam, Bopanna has set an example for generations to derive inspiration. What stands out in this amazing story is the refusal of the champion to follow ordinary norms that come attached with advancing age. Instead of going by the regular pattern of retirement after reaching a certain age, Bopanna chose the difficult path. He already had a role model in Leander Paes -- the true-blue fighter who never thought of slowing down. As Paes defied age and perceptions, Bopanna, too, managed to tread the path on the strength of his spirit. India is absolutely proud to have two of the same ilk, along with Mahesh Bhupathi, in the annals of tennis. They kept the Indian flag aloft on the international tennis circuit and deserve every bit of love and respect from the countrymen.
Ever since switching to the doubles format 14 years ago, Bopanna had been searching for the elusive Grand Slam victory with different partners. He twice reached the US Open final but never won a men’s doubles major. He did have a mixed doubles trophy at the French Open with Gabriela Dabrowski of Canada but the desire to win a men’s doubles title at the Slam still remained unfulfilled. The most cherished box has finally been ticked in Melbourne with a straight sets victory in the final.
The high Bopanna has achieved at the fag end of his career is just the boost needed to keep the flame burning. His compatriots had talked about the ace player’s desire to hang his boots due to lack of something spectacular in his career. Now that the spectacular has been tamed, a new Bopanna is sure to emerge on the circuit. And that is good news not just for India but also for international tennis.
Bopanna’s high has another dimension for India. For years, he held fort in the Davis Cup before playing his last game in the previous year. The historic Grand Slam is set to cast a big influence on the Davis Cuppers who grew in the shadows of Rohan Bopanna watching him take up the rescue acts with nerves of steel. They have a role model!
(The Hitavada)
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