"You don't expect to make the final again 13 years later" - Rohan Bopanna on reaching US Open 2023 doubles final
Rohan Bopanna recently stated that he had not expected to play in the 2023 US Open men’s doubles final after 13 long years. Last year, Bopanna became the oldest Grand Slam doubles finalist at the age of 43 when he partnered Matthew Ebden at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. However, the duo lost the match 6-2, 3-6, 4-6 to Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury.
Bopanna played in the US Open final for the first time in 2010 when he partnered Pakistan’s Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi. He ended on the losing side after Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan won the title clash 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4).
In a recent exclusive interview with Scroll, Bopanna reminisced about the 2023 US Open final. He was quoted as saying:
“You don’t expect that you’re going to make the final again 13 years later.”
“It was amazing to be walking back there [the Arthur Ashe Stadium] for the final. Of course, there are great memories because the last time was in my breakthrough year and now, I was going back as a different kind of player,” he added.
"We were not favourites" - Bopanna on partnering Sania Mirza in latter’s farewell Grand Slam
Bopanna also recalled the final of the 2023 Australian Open mixed doubles when he paired up with Sania Mirza.
The focus was on Mirza, who bid goodbye to Grand Slams after the hard-court tournament at Melbourne Park. Bopanna and Mirza finished as the runners-up after losing 6-7, 2-6 to the Brazilian duo of Luisa Stefani and Rafael Matos.
Bopanna said to Scroll:
“I think it was a fairytale journey for us. It would have been incredible if we finished with the title.”
“When we decided to play, I don’t think we were anywhere close to being big favourites or doing well. But I think we just played freely on the court and enjoyed every moment,” he added.
Bopanna is all set to be back at the 2024 Australian Open. Bopanna and his partner Ebden are the second seeds at the tournament. In 2023, Bopanna became the oldest tennis player to win an ATP Masters title. He won the men’s doubles title at the Indian Wells Masters along with Ebden.