Sania Mirza finds herself at a loss for words to praise Rohan Bopanna, her former mixed doubles partner, as he secures a historic rise to the top of the men’s doubles rankings following a standout performance at the Australian Open. Bopanna, in tandem with Matthew Ebden, advanced to the semi-finals after defeating the sixth-seeded Argentinian pair of Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni with a scoreline of 6-4, 7-6(5) in Melbourne.
This remarkable feat propels Bopanna beyond the current World No. 1, USA’s Austin Krajicek, and his Croatian partner Ivan Dodig, who exited the competition in the second round. The Indo-Australian duo showcased their prowess by breaking Gonzalez’s serve in the fifth game and clinching a tiebreaker in the second set.
Bopanna’s illustrious career includes a mixed doubles Grand Slam title at the French Open in 2017 alongside Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski. His success extends to men’s doubles, finishing as the runner-up at the US Open in 2010 with Pakistan’s Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and in 2023 with Ebden, making him the oldest-ever Grand Slam finalist.
Notably, Bopanna and Mirza reached the finals of the Australian Open 2023 mixed doubles, adding to their impressive collaborative history in tennis. Mirza, expressing admiration for the 43-year-old’s historic achievement, acknowledges the significance of this milestone for Indian tennis.
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