'He was contemplating retirement 5 years ago, now he World No.1': Tennis world hails Rohan Bopanna

 In a thrilling quarter-final match on Wednesday at the Australian Open 2024, the Argentina team of Máximo González and Andrés Molteni met their match against the India-Australia duo of Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden. It was a tightly contested battle, with Bopanna and Ebden emerging victorious with a 6-4, 6-2 win. The match showcased impressive serving and receiving statistics, with both teams displaying excellent skill and determination.  

3 things you need to know 

• Rohan Bopanna and  Matthew Ebden are into the semifinals of the Australian Open 2024 
•  Rohan Bopanna is ranked world’s No. 1 in Men’s doubles 
• He is the oldest player ever to be ranked as the world’s no. 1 at 43 years old 

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Tennis world reacts to Rohan Bopanna’s historic achievement 

Rohan Bopanna, 43, made history as the oldest men's doubles player to be named world number one, surpassing American Rajeev Ram. Sania Mirza is pleased, and squash player Joshna Chinappa applauds the achievement. Bopanna's accomplishment occurred in the 2024 Australian Open, where he and Matt Ebden advanced to the semi-finals by defeating Máximo González and Andrés Molteni. This is Bopanna's best run in 17 Australian Open appearances in his career so far.

In doubles, Bopanna—who was ranked third in the world in 2013—joins Indian tennis greats Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, and Sania Mirza. The seasoned athlete will reach the summit, taking Austin Krajicek of the USA's place. Remarkably, Bopanna set a record last year at the US Open to become the oldest Grand Slam finalist. His remarkable career is further enhanced by his victory in mixed doubles at the 2017 French Open alongside Gabriela Dabrowski.

Also Read: 'World's oldest No.1': Rohan Bopanna makes history at Australian Open

The second-seeded Indo-Australian team will meet unseeded Tomas Machac and Zhizhen Zhang in the semifinals. Bopanna's major successes include winning the men's doubles title at a Masters 1000 event at 43, partnered by Ebden, at Indian Wells. The formal confirmation of Bopanna's world No. 1 ranking is set on Monday, marking a significant milestone in his long tennis career. Rajeev Ram already held this honour at 38 in October 2022.