Rohan Bopanna retires: ‘I went from almost giving up tennis to becoming world number one’ | ATP Tour

ATP Tour

Rohan Bopanna retires: ‘I went from almost giving up tennis to becoming world number one’

ATPTour.com spoke exclusively to the Indian star about his career

November 28, 2025

Rohan Bopanna’s career can be summed up in three words: patience, discipline and confidence.

These are simple qualities, but the weight of the statement only becomes clear when he describes how he came close to leaving the sport entirely in 2021. Instead, a conversation with wife Supriya sparked a change of mindset that paved the way for him to win the 2024 Australian Open title with Matthew Ebden and rise to No. 1 in the PIF ATP doubles rankings at the age of 43, becoming the oldest man to do so.

“I think my career is a story about patience, discipline and confidence,” Bopanna told ATPTour.com after calling time on his career earlier this month. “That’s where it shaped me. Yes, you have to have a certain talent to get to a certain level, but you need to have a strong mentality. That’s where it made a huge impact, it was a huge transition for me, from almost quitting tennis to being world No. 1.”

Rohan Bopanna, Matthew Ebden” style=”width:100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/images/news/2025/11/28/13/49/bopanna-ebden-melbourne-2024-tropy.jpg”>_{^{Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden win the 2024 Australian Open doubles title. Photo: David Gray/Getty Images.}}

Bopanna won 26 tour-level doubles titles during his career, but his story begins far from the global center of the sport. The Indian grew up in Coorg, a hilly region of Karnataka better known for its coffee estates and quiet pace than its tennis academies.

With only one national television channel showing the Grand Slam tournament, the professional game feels far away. However, as his abilities grew, so did his connection to the wider world of tennis, which became the platform for his transition from the seedy courts to the pinnacle of the ATP Tour.

“To come from a small town like Coorg to all over the world and become the number one player in the world, especially at the age of 43, it’s been a journey far beyond what I could have imagined,” Bopanna said. “Above all, I am most grateful to every partner, every game, every city and everyone who has supported me over the years.”

As a junior, Bopanna’s tennis education came partly from watching ATP No. 1 club member Stefan Edberg, but more from the stories of the Indian greats who paved the way. Ramanathan Krishnan and his son Ramesh Krishnan were trailblazers. Vijay Amritraj and his brother Anand Amritraj are stalwarts of the Davis Cup and have catapulted Indian tennis to the global stage.

Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi became multiple Grand Slam champions and former world number one doubles players, redefining what Indian players can achieve. When Bopanna eventually shared the Davis Cup dressing room with Paes and Bhupathi, these examples served as vivid lessons in professionalism and partnership. He also found strength and camaraderie with Sania Mirza, with whom he reached the 2023 Australian Open Mixed Doubles final.

“I read about these guys doing a lot of great things, representing India in the Davis Cup, the Olympics and the Asian Games,” Bopanna said of these early role models. “They started becoming a huge inspiration to me. Both Mahesh and Leander were two people that I looked up to. I followed their journey closely. I had to listen to them day in and day out to figure out how I should start my journey.

“Sania Mirza is also someone I’ve been on tour with and we’ve shared a lot of great memories. Even though I’ve met beautiful people from all over the world, just sharing this journey with someone from your own country, I think can help you better shape your own journey as well.”

Rohan Bopanna” style=”width:100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/images/news/2025/11/28/13/55/bopanna-mirza-rio-2016.jpg”>_{^{Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna during the bronze medal match at Rio 2016 Olympics. Photo: Julian Finney/Getty Images.}}

However, Bopanna’s rise has not been smooth sailing. He underwent shoulder surgery in 2006 that sidelined him for six months, and later in his career he battled painful knee issues. In 2019, he learned he had little cartilage left, leaving him in constant discomfort and struggling to return to form.

He endured a painful stretch in 2021, during which he lost his first seven Tour-level matches and picked up his first victory of the year in May, when the 41-year-old found himself closer to retirement than ever.

“When I came back after COVID, it was a big challenge for me that year with all the lockdowns and testing we were going through,” Bopanna said of the 2021 season. “I didn’t win a race for almost five months. I remember talking to my wife and I told her, ‘I’m 41 years old and I think it’s time to call it a day. I think this is the end of the journey.’

“But then she said, ‘If you want to end it, that’s your decision, but, think about it. Think of it as a new challenge, not a limitation.’ That’s where I started playing my best tennis.”

That conversation became a turning point in his career. Bopanna embraced a new approach, supported by those around him – his wife, long-time coach Scott Davidoff, his physio and his partners – that laid the foundation for a stunning late surge.

Rohan Bopanna” style=”width:100%;” src=”https://www.atptour.com/-/media/images/news/2025/11/28/13/57/bopanna-daughter-melbourne-2024.jpg”>_{^{Rohan Bopanna celebrates with wife Supriya and daughter Tridha at the 2024 Australian Open. Photo: William West/Getty Images.}}

Bopanna’s resurgence, marked by a 2024 Australian Open title with Matthew Ebden, is matched by the integrity that has defined his career. During the 2023 US Open final, during his and Ebdon’s loss to Rajiv Ram and Joe Salisbury, Bopanna’s admission that the ball grazed his hand in a moment of instinctive sportsmanship resonated with fans and peers alike.

“I always wanted to do the right thing. I told myself instinctively that the ball touched me,” Bopanna said. “As a father, you not only want to teach your children but you want to teach everyone around them the right things to show that sometimes there are more important things than playing tennis.

“I’m grateful to my parents, who taught me this from a young age. Even today, I don’t regret doing something like this. I will keep that for the rest of my life.”

Bopanna has a career record of 539-410 in doubles and 15 singles wins, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, but retirement will not take him away from the sport. Currently, he provides education, boarding, accommodation and tennis training support to 37 needy students through the Rohan Bopanna Tennis Development Foundation.

Bopanna, 45, hopes to help bring more tournaments to India, build better pathways for teenagers and use the relationships he has built around the world to reshape Indian tennis. For the first time in twenty years, he will have more time at home with his loved ones.

“Becoming a father gave me a second chance in my career and my daughter watched me win championships,” Bopanna said of his daughter Trida. “She came into an era where I was actually doing really well and she thought it was normal to have these things. When I made it to the finals in Tokyo this year, the first thing after the award, I gave her the trophy and told her, ‘This is for you.’ Kids… they keep you grounded at all times.

“The bottom line is, yes, I will be retiring from the game but not from the sport. My next real mission is to help Indian tennis. I would love to use my experience and share it with young players to help them in their journey.”

Looking back on a career filled with success, Bopanna hopes his legacy will reflect not just the trophies he collected, but who he was as a person.

“I stay humble because of my tennis, it always keeps me honest and that’s what I want people to remember,” Bopanna said. “Being someone who always smiles every time. I bring a fierce side to my game, but off the tennis court I just want to be known as a humble guy who enjoys the track and loves being around this great sport and all these great people I meet.”