India’s Rohan Bopanna became the oldest man to win a Grand Slam after clinching the Australian Open 2024 men’s doubles title, pairing with Matthew Ebden. Bopanna, who is set to turn 44 in March this year, also celebrated becoming the oldest number one in men’s doubles history by winning the title in Melbourne on Saturday.
The second seeds claimed a 7-6 (7/0), 7-5 victory over unseeded Italian pair Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori on Rod Laver Arena. It was their maiden title as a team and Bopanna’s first in men’s doubles after 60 previous Grand Slams — a record for most attempts before winning.
Bopanna also became only the third Indian to win a men’s doubles Grand Slam title. In a high-quality game of tennis, Bopanna and Ebden won the final that lasted one hour and 39 minutes.
Only the iconic Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi have won Major titles for India in men’s tennis while trailblazer Sania Mirza did it in women’s tennis.
For Bopanna it is his second Grand Slam title, having won the French Open mixed doubles with Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski in 2017.
At 43, Bopanna also became the oldest Grand Slam champion in men’s tennis. He bettered the record of Jean-Julien Rojer who, at age of 40, had lifted the French Open men’s doubles trophy in 2022 with Marcelo Arevola.
It was such hard-fought battle at the Rod Laver arena that the contest featured only one break of serve when Vavassori dropped his serve at love in game 11 of the second set. There were not many break points on offer either.