Bopanna becomes oldest Indian to win ATP Masters 1000 title

India’s Rohan Bopanna became the oldest player to win an ATP Masters 1000 event by winning the men’s doubles title with his Australian partner Matt Ebden at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament here.Bopanna is 43 now. He and the 35-year-old Ebden beat top-seeded Dutch pair of Wesley Koolhof and Britain’s Neil Skupski 6-3, 2-6, 10-8 in Saturday’s final.

Bopanna, playing in his 10th ATP Masters 1000 final, said, “Really special. That’s why it is called the heaven of tennis. I have been coming here for years and watching people win titles here. I am really happy that Matt and I were able to win the title here. “We played tough and close matches. Today we faced the best team here. I am really very happy that we were able to win the trophy.

Bopanna thus surpassed Canadian Daniel Nestor, who won the Cincinnati Masters in 2015 at the age of 42. “I spoke to Danny Nestor and I told him I am sorry,” he joked. I am going to break his record. This title will always be with me and I am really happy with it.

It was Bopanna’s fifth overall and first Masters 1000 doubles title since Montecarlo Open in 2017. This was the third final of the pair of India and Australia this year. Bopanna has won a total of 24 titles at the Tour level. The pair of Bopanna and Ebden defeated defending champions and two-time title winners John Isrer and Jack Sock in the semi-finals. Earlier in the quarterfinals, they defeated Canada’s Felix Auger Alissime and Denis Shapovalov.

The Indo-Australian pair had defeated Rafael Matos and David Vega Hernandez in their opening match. Bopanna, a former world No. 3, has moved up four places to 11th in the ATP doubles rankings with the win.