In a heartwarming move aimed at empowering underprivileged children, India’s leading tennis player, Rohan Bopanna, has selected 25 promising youngsters from remote regions of Majuli Island and Bongaigaon in Assam to receive comprehensive tennis training.
This collaborative effort between the Rohan Bopanna Tennis Academy (RBTA) and Kamal India Foundation UK seeks to provide extensive support to children aged between 9 and 11.
Following a rigorous assessment process, which saw around 300 children showcasing their skills and fitness, Bopanna personally handpicked the final 25 players for inclusion in the program.
The selected candidates will be relocated to Bengaluru, where they will benefit from state-of-the-art infrastructure, a world-class tennis curriculum, and guidance from experienced coaching staff.
Additionally, boarding and lodging facilities within the school campus, along with educational support, will be provided.
Notably, Bopanna himself will offer mentorship and guidance at RBTA.
When asked about the specific selection of players from Assam, Bopanna cited a request from a sponsor.
“One of the reasons was that a donor wanted kids to be selected from the North East. We thought why not? It does not matter which part of the country kids come from; it is an incredible opportunity,” he stated.
Expressing enthusiasm about the partnership with Kamal India Foundation UK, Bopanna emphasized the aim to nurture athletic talents while empowering children with education and life skills essential for their future.
At 44 years old, Bopanna, who recently attained the top ranking on the ATP Tour, remains committed to the program’s expansion.
“Out of 300, we got 25. Now these will remain. The plan is to support them till the 10th or 12th standard. We keep adding more kids to the program. Every year we will have players from different regions,” he affirmed.
As, Padma Shri, Rohan Bopanna prepares to compete at the Paris Games, his initiative stands as a beacon of hope for aspiring young athletes, promising a brighter future for underprivileged children through the transformative power of sport and education.
source: http://www.northeasttoday.in / Northeast Today / Home> Assam> Featured> Northeast> Sports / by NET Web Desk / May 03rd, 2024
Age no bar, cartilage no bar. Rohan Bopanna, at age 43―or level 43 as he likes to call it―became the oldest man to win a Grand Slam when he and partner Matthew Ebden won the Australian Open earlier this year. Not only was the feat impressive in itself, the fact that he did so with no cartilage in his knees made it an insane achievement.
There was a time in 2006 when, following a shoulder surgery, Bopanna wondered if he would ever compete again. Nearly two decades later, he is world No. 1 in men’s doubles and has his sights set on the Paris Olympics.
It was this journey of grit and persistence that Bopanna shared with THE WEEK’s Sports Consultant Ayaz Memon at the magazine’s Sportsroom event presented by HSBC at the bank’s India headquarters in Fort, Mumbai, on April 4.
As the stories swirled inside the colonial-era art deco building, the audience got a peek into not just Bopanna’s life, but also that of Indian tennis as a whole. The conversation―breezy and insightful―covered a lot of ground, including why there is a paucity of talent in Indian tennis currently, how Iyengar yoga and ice baths kept his body going, his love of coffee and exploring cities, the loneliness of travel, and how he came back from the dark days of his career.
As it turned out, he is proficient not only with racket in hand, but also on the mic. Sitting on stage in a light-blue jacket, wearing a gold locket with two crossed knives―a nod to his Coorgi roots―Bopanna talked about how he went from being a young singles player to a grizzled doubles veteran who is now like an uncle on the international circuit.
“Age never worried me,” he said. “We set our limitations ourselves. When you change limitations into opportunities, you have a better perspective.”
His lowest point, he recalled, was in 2021, when he did not win a match for five months. That is when he told his wife, Supriya, a psychologist, that he was thinking of quitting. He was not enjoying it anymore. She told him he could do it, but urged him not to do so when he was down. And that triggered something.
Bopanna talked candidly and at length about mental and physical toughness, but he also sprinkled in some amusing anecdotes. In 2008, for instance, he made a pact with his then physio Shayamal Vallabhjee that if he entered a Grand Slam quarterfinal, they would both shave their heads. It was a self-motivation tool. So, at Wimbledon 2010, when he lost in the quarterfinals, he headed to the locker room and straightaway went next door to the barbershop. After the deed was done, he walked past his family, and his mother did a double take. She had just seen her son, with a full head of hair, playing on court half an hour ago. “It tells you that you need to have a little bit of madness in you to become a champion,” noted Memon.
Talking of champions, Bopanna also weighed in on the GOAT debate, saying that while Roger Federer was his favourite, Novak Djokovic was the best athlete. As for Indians, he said he had seen a lot of improvement in Sumit Nagal in the past one year.
Bopanna did not shy away from some of the prickly questions Memon had. For instance, on the friction in the past between the Indian tennis federation and the players. “Any time the federation was involved in picking the team, we had an issue,” said Bopanna, evoking chuckles from the 50-odd invitees, some of them lifelong tennis fans and players. “When the federation was not involved, it was smooth sailing.”
Among those in attendance were THE WEEK’s Chief Associate Editor and Director Riyad Mathew, who talked about the importance of sport in life; those from the bank were: Jaswinder Sodhi, Head of Customers, Digital and Marketing, Wealth and Personal Banking, HSBC India; Ranganath Ananth, Head of Distribution, Wealth and Personal Banking at HSBC India; Shubham Golash, Director and Regional Head (West), Wealth and Personal Banking, HSBC India; Arkaprava Ray, Head, Marketing Strategy, Brand Partnerships, IP and Sponsorships, Wealth and Personal Banking, HSBC India; and Sandeep Sethi, SVP and Branch Head, Fort Mumbai, HSBC India.
Bopanna went on to explain that in professional tennis, a player essentially does everything themselves, like entering tournaments and funding their careers, which includes paying for air fare, coaches and physios. But for events like the Davis Cup, Asian Games and the Olympics, the federation has to enter them. Also, when picking teams, the federation might not go with the pair that has been playing together for a long time. This is where the problem lies. “Doubles is like a love marriage,” he said, “and when it came to the Olympics and such events, it was an arranged marriage.”
Asked if he was going to have a go at tennis administration and what changes he would affect were he sports minister, Bopanna said, “I would love to be part of it…. We need to come together to make the sport work.” He added that the first step would be to broadcast matches of all Indians representing their country in tennis worldwide. In fact, before the event, Bopanna had told THE WEEK that he had in the past called up broadcasters to ask them whether they were going to show his matches.
Those days are now over; that he is firmly a star was evident by the rush at the end of the event to get a photo clicked with the ace.
source: http://www.theweek.in / The Week / Home> Magazine> The Week / by Anirudh Madhavan, Mumbai / Issue Date April 21st, 2024 / Updated April 14th, 2024
With the win, Bopanna surpassed his record created last year when he won the Indian Wells title at the age of 43, and also reclaimed the top spot in the doubles ranking.
Ace Indian tennis player Rohan Bopanna rewrote his own record to continue to be the oldest ATP Masters 1000 champion as he and his Australian partner Matt Ebden clinched the men’s doubles crown at the Miami Open here.
Continuing their fine run this year, the 44-year-old Bopanna and Ebden fought back from a set down to pull off an exhilarating 6-7(3), 6-3, 10-6 win over Crotia’s Ivan Dodig and American Austin Krajicek at the Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday.
With the win, Bopanna surpassed his record created last year when he won the Indian Wells title at the age of 43, and also reclaimed the top spot in the doubles ranking.
“It’s amazing. As long as you are doing well in these big events, it’s what we play for,” Bopanna said after the win.
“I want to do well in the Masters 1000s and the Grand Slams. It’s good to keep that record going and keep giving everyone else a run for their money,” added Bopanna, who won his maiden doubles Grand Slam title at the Australian Open earlier this year.
This was Bopanna’s 14th ATP Masters 1000 final. Overall, it was the veteran Indian player’s 63rd ATP Tour level final and 26th doubles title.
Bopanna also achieved a rare feat as he became the second Indian after Leander Paes to reach the final of all nine ATP Masters events.
Bopanna and Ebden, the top seeds for the tournament, tapped into their deep reservoir of experience to fetch the final six points of the summit clash. They had three set points on serve at 6-5 in the opening set but their second-seeded opponents warded off all three to force a tiebreaker before taking a 1-0 lead.
“It’s tough. These guys, they fight back in tough moments,” said Ebden.
“Last time we played them it was similar, it’s a bit of a see-saw. They return so well, make so many balls and we missed one or two shots when we were up [at the end of] the first set. They played a great tie-break, and then we just reset.” Bopanna and Ebden then staged a comeback as they broke their opponent early in the second set which helped them level the game.
Like the opening two sets, the tiebreaker was also fought on an even keel with the reigning Australian Open champions emerging victorious.
Following the Australian Open triumph, Bopanna climbed to the world No.1 spot in the ATP rankings, becoming the oldest player to do so. But slipped to the second spot in the doubles rankings after a quarterfinal loss at the Dubai Championships and a round-of-32 exit at the Indian Wells Masters.
But with the win here, the pair will be back to the top spot.
source:http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Sport> Tennis / by PTI / March 31st, 2024
Bopanna was accompanied by his family during the meeting with the CM on February 13.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah felicitated tennis player Rohan Bopanna for winnig the men’s doubles Australian Open title and announced a prize of ₹50 lakh.
Bopanna was accompanied by his family during the meeting on February 13 with the CM who was accompanied by Information Technology Minister Priyank Kharge, Kannada and Culture Minister Shivaraj S. Thangadagi, and his political secretary Govindaraju.
On social media platform X, Mr Siddaramaiah posted: “Met and congratulated Rohan Bopanna, who won the men’s doubles title of Australian Open tennis tournament and announced a prize of ₹50 lakh.”
Bopanna became only the third Indian to win a men’s doubles Grand Slam title, taking the Australian Open crown with partner Matthew Ebden after a win over Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori in the final.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Karnataka / The Hindu Bureau / February 13th, 2024
Rohan Bopanna presents his Australian Open 2024 winning racket to PM Modi
The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, met tennis player Rohan Bopanna Friday. He praised Bopanna for winning the Australian Open, saying that his accomplishment makes India proud.
The Prime Minister posted on X:
“Glad to have met you Rohan Bopanna. Your accomplishment makes India proud and your dedication motivates several people. My best wishes for your endeavours ahead.”
Rohan Bopanna ended India’s six-year drought for the Grand Slam by clinching his maiden Australian Open 2024 title in the men’s doubles with Australia’s Matthew Ebden. Bopanna also topped the ATP rankings in doubles after reaching the final at Melbourne Park on January 24.
Meanwhile Tennis player Rohan Bopanna tweets, “I had the privilege to meet our honourable Prime Minister Modi today. This acknowledgement is very humbling & it was my honour to present the very racket that led me to become World No. 1 and the AO grand slam champion. Your grace has left me inspired & encouraged.”
The 43-year-old Bengaluru-born Bopanna became the only fourth Indian after legendary Sania Mirza, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupati to clinch the Grand Slam title and top the ATP rankings in doubles. Bopanna also scripted history at the Asian Games 2023 in Hangzhou by claiming a Gold medal in the mixed doubles with Rutuja Bhosale.
source: http://www.theindianawaaz.com / The Indian Awaaz / Home / February 03rd, 2024
The 43-year-old Rohan Bopanna is the fourth Indian to win a Grand Slam title.
Rohan Bopanna is a professional tennis player from India. Born on 4th March 1980, Bopanna went on to become the oldest World No.1. The 43-year-old specializes mainly in doubles.
Throughout his career, Rohan Bopanna had tasted major success in the doubles division. He has won 24 ATP doubles titles. However, he is still to win a men’s doubles title in the Major Grand Slam. His best performance in the men’s double in Grand Slam came at the US Open in 2010 and 2023 when he reached the finals of the competition.
Bopanna has also reached the semis of the Grand Slams thrice at the Wimbledon and once at the French Open. However, he has won a mixed doubles title at the French Open in 2017 with partner Gabriela Dabrowski. He is the fourth Indian to win a major title.
Who are Rohan Bopanna’s parents?
Rohan Bopanna was born on 4th March 1980 to M.G. Bopanna and Mallika Bopanna. By profession, his father is a coffee planter, and he was the one who inspired his son to choose an individual sport. Bopanna, in turn tried various sports and at the age of 19 chose to play tennis. His father also built a tennis court in his hometown Coorg for Bopanna.
His mother, Mallika Bopanna, is a homemaker. More details about his mother are not available in the public.
Where do Rohan Bopanna’s parents live?
Bopanna’s father and mother live in their coffee estate in Coorg, Karnataka. Bopanna himself had his primary education from there. Later on, he shifted to Bangalore to complete his higher education at the Jain University in Bangalore.
What did Rohan Bopanna’s parents do for a living?
Bopanna’s father is a coffee planter by profession and owns a coffee estate in their hometown of Coorg, which is the primary source of income for them. His mother is a homemaker.
What is the estimated net worth of Rohan Bopanna’s parents?
The 43-year-old himself earns a handsome sum of $3.2 million per year through various tournaments and sponsorship deals. However, no such info is available for his parents.
FAQs
Q. Who is the wife of Rohan Bopanna?
Supriya Annaiah is the wife of Rohan Bopanna
Q. How many Grand Slam titles has Bopanna won?
Bopanna has won one French Open title in the Mixed doubles division.Q. Where was Bopanna born?
Bopanna was born in Bangalore, Karnataka.
Q. What is Bopanna’s daughter’s name?
Rohan Bopanna’s daughter’s name is Tridha Bopanna.
source: http://www.firstsportz.com / First Sportz / Home> Tennis / by Soumik Bhatacharya / edited by Nikhil Sonmali / January 27th, 2024
Rohan Bopanna reveals his wife’s advice amid struggles before winning the Australian Open doubles title.
How much do you know about Rohan Bopanna?
The veteran Indian tennis player is the oldest male Grand Slam winner in the Open era. He achieved the feat by winning the Australian Open men’s doubles title on Saturday. The 43-year-old Indian and his doubles partner Matthew Ebden outclassed the Italian duo of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori 7-6(0) 7-5 to rewrite history in the first Grand Slam of the 2024 season.
The newly-crowned world number one in doubles, Bopanna is showing no signs of slowing down. He is playing the best tennis of his life at the age of 43.
Interestingly, Bopanna was busy shattering records in the build-up to the Australian Open. He became the oldest men’s player to seal an ATP Masters 1000 title. He made it to two Grand Slam finals and featured in the ATP Finals. He also claimed a gold medal at the Asian Games before finishing the season as world No. 3 in men’s doubles.
Bopanna almost quit tennis in 2019
Before Bopanna made headlines with the Australian Open, there was a time when he was contemplating retirement. The cartilage in his knees had wore out, and his mobility was not great. Bopanna went five months without winning a match forcing him to almost call time on his career in 2019. With critics convinced that he was past his prime, Bopanna invested heavily in his fitness to spark a sensational turnaround.
Advice Rohan Bopanna got from wife Supriya Annaiah
His physio travelled with him on tour. Thanks to ‘Iyengar Yoga’ during the pandemic break, a rejuvenated Bopanna started playing pain-free tennis – a sport which gave him everything. Speaking to ESPN ahead of the Australian Open final, Bopanna opened up about having no cartilage on his knees. Bopanna also recollected a game-changing advice he received from his wife Supriya Annaiah.
‘When you change limitations to opportunities’
“My wife said it beautifully one day, ‘when you change limitations to opportunities, everything changes.’ We are always told at 25 this has to happen, by 30 this has to happen, at 40 this will happen. It’s a thing which is told to us constantly, whether it is sport or life, whether it is marriage, having kids, whatever it may be. But when you change that into opportunities, then the limitations go away,” Bopanna recalled.
Know more about oldest man to win a Grand Slam title
At 43 years and 329 days, Bopanna has become the oldest to win a men’s doubles major in the Open era. He will officially become the oldest to be ranked No. 1 in men’s doubles on Monday. He is the third Indian to win a Grand Slam doubles title after Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi. Reflecting on his incredible journey, Bopanna revealed that he had messaged his wife about bidding farewell to tennis.
“Five years ago, I sent my wife a video message where I said I would call it a day, because I wasn’t winning matches. I went five months without winning a match, I thought that would be the end of my journey. But my perseverance kept me going and really changed so many things. I found a wonderful partner to get me to all the laurels,” Bopanna said.
source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> News> Sports> Tennis News / by HT Sports Desk / January 28th, 2024
Rohan Bopanna wins maiden men’s doubles Grand Slam title just days after being assured of becoming No. 1 in ATP men’s doubles ranking.
Rohan Bopanna on Saturday became the oldest-ever player to win a Grand Slam after he and Matthew Ebden beat the Italian pair of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori 7-6(0), 7-5 in the 2024 Australian Open men’s doubles final. The 43-year old Bopanna beat the record of Jean-Julien Rojer, who lifted the French Open men’s doubles trophy in 2022 with Marcelo Arevola at the age of 40.
For Bopanna and Ebden, it was their maiden title together. They lost in the US Open final last year. This was Bopanna’s first Grand Slam doubles triumph after 60 attempts — another record. The India great’s only previous Grand Slam win was at the 2017 French Open in mixed doubles, with Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski.
For Ebden, this is his second men’s Grand Salm doubles title. He won his first at Wimbledon in 2022 with fellow Australian Max Purcell.
In 16 previous appearances at the Australian Open, Bopanna’s best was third round appeaances, which he managed six times, the last in 2018. He had since been knocked out in opening rounds, including with Ebden in 2023.
En route to winning the doubles title, Bopanna was assured of the No. 1 ranking in men’s doubles on Monday after winning his quarter-final match, making him the oldest player ever to hold the top spot for the first time.
The final, despite the straight-set win, was a hard-fought battle. There was only one break of serve, when Bopanna and Ebden broke Vavassori at love in the 11th game of the second set.
Bopanna and Ebden looked for an early breakthrough in the contest against an unseeded pair and created break point opportunities in back-to-back games, but were denied on both occasions as the opening set headed to a tie-break. The Indo-Aussie pair didn’t lose a tie-braker all fortnight, which included two super tie-breaks, and the record remained intact as they won all seven points on offer to take a one-set lead.
source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> News> Sports> Tennis News / by HT Sports Desk / January 27th, 2024
With the announcement of Padma Shri to two natives of Kodagu, the district takes pride in the same as two among the seven Padma Shri awardees in sports field are from here.
Madikeri :
It is a pride moment for Kodagu as two natives from the district will be conferred with the Padma Shri award. Rohan Bopanna, who emerged as World No.1 in International Men’s Doubles tennis two days ago and Joshna Chinappa, International Squash player, will receive the award from President Droupadi Murmu.
A native of Garaganduru of Madapur in Kodagu, Machanda Rohan Bopanna is the son of Bopanna and Mallika. He rose to the world’s number one ranking after his stupendous performance in the men’s doubles at the Grand Slam Australian Open. He also holds the record of being the oldest World No. 1 player. Teaming up with Australian player Mathew Ebden, 43-year-old Rohan Bopanna will play the finals at the Australian Open today.
“Rohan has emerged as a world-class player through various levels of achievement in the field of tennis. The hard work put in by Rohan for this is unimaginable and it is a prideful movement for the family,” shared Rohan’s father MG Bopanna. Rohan was honored by the state with Ekalavya Award in 2005.
Kuttanda Joshna Chinappa, another native of the district, is the daughter of Anjan Chinappa. Aged 37, she has won several gold medals in squash including at the World Squash Doubles Championship, South Asian Games, Asian Individual Squash Championship and Common Wealth Games. Now settled in Tamil Nadu, Joshna’s tryst with squash began at a very young age.
Taking part at the Republic Day celebration at Gonikoppal on Friday, Joshna spoke with the media persons and shared, “I started to play squash after I received encouragement from my parents. The encouragement that I received as a child has helped me evolve in the game. I take pride in playing for the nation.” She thanked all her coaches and trainers for her achievement.
With the announcement of Padma Shri to two natives of Kodagu, the district takes pride in the same as two among the seven Padma Shri awardees in sports field are from here.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Other / by Express News Service / January 26th, 2024
During one such ITF junior tournament in Chennai, Rohan Bopanna spotted him. And when India’s doubles star started his academy in Bengaluru in 2016, Niki’s hazy tennis road was starting to clear up.
At 24, Niki Poonacha, who won the Fenesta National Tennis Championship in New Delhi on Saturday, has already seen precious time being taken away from his nascent career.
If months lost to injuries often dealing a body blow to his vulnerable body weren’t enough, the Tamil Nadu boy was forced to end his training stint in Spain for lack of financial resources. This, despite his parents selling most of their properties to ensure that their son’s tennis career doesn’t get derailed even before getting on track properly.
After turning 18 and deciding that he wanted to take up the sport professionally after a decent showing in the junior circuit, Niki – who was based in a small town called Neyveli and now stays in Anantapur — checked into the Arena Tennis Academy in Alicante.
However, barely a couple of years on, he realized that it was burning too big a hole into his and his parents’ pockets.
“When I started going abroad to train, there were a lot of expenses to take care of. My parents had to sell some of our properties every now and then,” Niki said.
“At one point of time, all our resources were sold out and empty. When I was 20, I stopped going abroad because of my financial constraints. I decided to train in India all by myself, but I couldn’t find a good coach or a proper set up.
“So, I wasted that time in between, and those two years were so critical. But the situation was such that I couldn’t do much except train by myself from whatever I learnt from my previous coaches,” he added.
From cutting a lonely figure to becoming a national champion a few years later, it’s no wonder that Niki has a tinge of pride in his voice. And, satisfaction that the sacrifice of his parents – both of whom took retirement from their respective central government jobs – wasn’t for nothing.
“We don’t have that great a (financial) background, and we couldn’t find anyone to support us financially. Tennis is a very expensive sport, and it’s really difficult to pay for the travel, training and everything else. But my parents sacrificed everything for me, and then I also got committed towards tennis,” Niki said.
Just like his father, Poonacha KB, was committed to place his son on the tennis journey, so much so that he picked up the nuances of the sport himself.
“My dad was an athlete, but he learnt tennis coaching for me. He had the passion for tennis and he introduced me to it. It wasn’t my goal from the first to become a professional tennis player, but he kept teaching me and I was getting better at it. I started playing tournaments at the age of nine, and was doing well in the juniors,” Niki said.
During one such ITF junior tournament in Chennai, Rohan Bopanna spotted him. And when India’s doubles star started his academy in Bengaluru in 2016, Niki’s hazy tennis road was starting to clear up.
When he was starting his academy, one of his coaches invited me to join. From having nothing to having a very good professional set up, it was a big turning point for me,” Niki, who is now coached by Sujith Sachidanand and the veteran M Balachandran, said.
The training part taken care of since the last couple of years, Niki began playing on the ITF circuit – a level below the ATP tour – again, and clinched a title in Indonesia last year. Placed at 912 in the ATP rankings, he now hopes to play a few Challenger events and gradually climb the rankings ladder.
“My main priority is to stay healthy and focus on my fitness. And from next season, I want to play close to 25 tournaments a year. Long term, my dream is to be in the top 100, and represent India in the Davis Cup,” Niki said.
source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> News> Sports> Tennis / HT Mumbai / by Rutvick Mehta / October 08th, 2019
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