An Asian male tennis player is set to retire!

Who do you first recall when mentioning Asian male tennis players?

Is it Lu Yen-hsun, the former Asian men's top player? Since turning pro in 2001, he consistently ranked within the ATP top 100 singles from 2008 through 2017, and at the 2010 Wimbledon, he defeated multiple strong opponents including Roddick to reach the singles quarterfinals.

Or is it Kei Nishikori, the former Grand Slam singles runner-up? He made a breakthrough by reaching the US Open singles final in 2014; although he did not win the title, he made Asian tennis history. Additionally, Nishikori earned the men's singles bronze medal at the Rio Olympics.

Or perhaps it’s the new generation and core Chinese male players like Zhang Zhizhen, Wu Yibing, Shang Juncheng, and Bu Yunchaokete? In recent years, they have carried the hopes of Chinese and even Asian men's tennis.

All these players are indispensable parts of Asian men's tennis, but today’s focus is on a player from India. Rohan Bopanna, born March 4, 1980, in Bangalore, India, turned professional in 2003 and this year marks his 23rd year competing in professional tournaments.

Earlier this month, he officially announced his retirement via social media, bringing an end to a career spanning over two decades. The undisputed doubles leader of Asian men’s tennis has now stepped away from the sport.

When it comes to Bopanna, his name is synonymous with outstanding achievements in men’s doubles. As early as the 2011 and 2012 seasons, he won back-to-back men’s doubles titles at the Paris Masters. Later, he also claimed top-level doubles championships at the 2015 Madrid Masters and the 2017 Monte-Carlo Masters.

At the 2017 French Open, Bopanna teamed up with Canadian tennis star Daniel Nestor to defeat several top pairs and win the mixed doubles title. Moreover, he finished as runner-up in the ATP Finals men’s doubles twice, in 2012 and 2015.

As he aged, while many peers chose to retire, Bopanna reached new career heights. In the 2023 season, at over 40 years old, he reached the Australian Open mixed doubles final (finishing runner-up), won the Indian Wells Masters men’s doubles title with partner Matthew Ebden, and made it to the US Open men’s doubles final, breaking Nestor’s 2016 record as the oldest doubles semifinalist in the Open Era.

Entering the 2024 season, Bopanna showed no signs of decline. At the Australian Open, he finally won the men’s doubles title at age 43 on his 61st Grand Slam appearance. He also claimed the world No. 1 doubles ranking, becoming the oldest player ever to hold that position.

So, what impresses you most about this Indian veteran?(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Barbie)