Top 3 Tennis players Rohan Bopanna has faced in his career
Rohan Bopanna is a household name in Indian tennis. At 43 years old, Bopanna recently made history by becoming the oldest player to break into the top 5 world rankings in men's doubles. He also broke his own record by becoming the oldest man to reach a Masters final.
Currently holding the 8th spot globally, the tennis sensation from Bangalore has had his fair share of victories and defeats in a career spanning two glorious decades.
Over the course of more than 850 matches, Rohan Bopanna has shared the court with several iconic tennis figures. Let's take a closer look at three of the numerous top tennis players Rohan Bopanna has had the privilege of competing against.
#3. Novak Djokovic and Miomir Kecmanović
Rohan Bopanna is currently gearing up to face Novak Djokovic, arguably the greatest men's singles player to have ever graced the sport. In the round of 16 at the 2023 Paris Masters, Bopanna, along with his partner Matthew Ebden, will go head-to-head with Djokovic and Miomir Kecmanović.
Novak Djokovic's tennis achievements are nothing short of extraordinary. He has spent an astounding 397 weeks at the World No. 1 spot across 12 different years. Djokovic has clinched the year-end No. 1 position an unprecedented seven times. With 24 Grand Slam men's singles titles, including an incredible ten Australian Open titles, Djokovic stands as a true giant in the tennis world.
Adding to this impressive list, Djokovic is the only man in tennis history to simultaneously hold all four major titles across three different surfaces. It will be quite a spectacle to see how Bopanna takes on the World No. 1.
# 2. Venus Williams and Rajeev Ram
Back in 2016, at the Rio Olympics, Rohan Bopanna partnered with Sania Mirza to take on the American duo of Rajeev Ram and Venus Williams in the mixed doubles semifinal.
Venus Williams, a former world No. 1 in both singles and doubles, is widely hailed as one of the greatest tennis players of all time. With seven Grand Slam singles titles and an impressive collection of 16 doubles and mixed doubles Grand Slam titles, Williams' legacy in the sport is beyond remarkable.
In addition to her Grand Slam successes, she holds four Olympic gold medals and one silver. Rajeev Ram, on the other hand, also boasts a former world No. 1 ranking in doubles, with six Grand Slam titles and an Olympic silver medal to his name.
In their encounter at the Olympic Games, the Indian pair convincingly secured the first set but couldn't maintain their lead, ultimately falling short with a score of 6-2, 2-6, 3-10 in a match that lasted one hour and 17 minutes.
# 1. Bryan Brothers: Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan
Rohan Bopanna has had multiple encounters with the iconic Bryan brothers, Bob and Mike Bryan, throughout his illustrious career. The Bryans are widely celebrated as the most successful doubles team in the history of tennis.
They have an astonishing list of achievements to their name, including multiple Olympic medals, including a gold in 2012. They have also secured more professional wins, matches, tournaments, and Grand Slam victories than any other men's doubles pairing.
The twins held the World No. 1 doubles ranking together for an impressive 438 weeks, with Mike individually dominating the Men's Doubles World No. 1 ranking for a record 506 weeks, surpassing any other doubles player in history. To add to their legacy, Bob has secured 23 Grand Slams, while Mike has triumphed in 22.
One of the most memorable encounters between Rohan Bopanna and the Bryan brothers took place in the 2010 US Open final. Bopanna and his partner Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi put up a valiant fight but narrowly lost the closely contested battle with a score of 6-7(5-7), 6-7(4-7). The Bryan brothers remain one of the most decorated opponents Bopanna has ever faced.