S.Kannan in Paris
Rohan Bopanna did not need to be told when to stop playing tennis for India. On Monday morning, a few hours after Sriram Balaji and he had lost to a French pair in the first round of the Paris 2024 Olympics, Bopanna woke up and gave it a thought. He spent the day on a decision to be made, whether to play again for India or move on.
Rightly, he said this Olympics at Roland Garros was his last appearance for India and he will focus on the US Open next. When asked on Monday morning by this writer if he would be readying for the 2026 Asian Games, he said: “Let me first wake up and decide.” Before flying out to the United States for the America hard court season, Bopanna had decided. It was a “thank you India” message for all the effort he had put in, during the Davis Cup campaigns, plus the Asian Games last year, where he won the mixed doubles gold. Yes, he made every effort to qualify for Paris 2024 and groomed Balaji. The result was not as expected.
“This kind of an atmosphere at Roland Garros for an Olympics, I was not prepared for it. You do not see this in India, such kind of cheering and singing songs. I mean, I have never seen it as a player. But that is no excuse, we lost,” said Bopanna.
To have played three Olympics, from 2012 London to Paris 2024, the tall Coorgi did his best. When he signed out from the Davis Cup in Lucknow last year just before the Asian Games, it was a planned decision. The latest move, too, is a planned one, as he carries great memories. And all his fans remember him for being a boy-turned-man who is a thorough gentleman.
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From the time he burst onto the scene at the Nationals on Grass in Digboi, Assam, in 1997 December, Bopanna was big. His serve and strokes were dangerous. He could make the tennis ball fly like a missile when he was an active singles player. Changing to doubles was easier. He learnt the nuances from friends like Mahesh Bhupathi, and the two were medal prospects at the 2012 Olympics.
Flip through the records of Bopanna, there are many high points. Where he stands out is an elder statesman. He has already started grooming doubles players and it is for free. A large-hearted tennis star, he still wants doubles to grow and flourish. For the record, he will again hold a doubles camp in Winston-Salem before the US Open.
At Level 44, Bopanna will play this season and hope to peak, again, at the US Open with Matt Ebden. He will then take it forward, whether to play the next season or not. “As long as I am enjoying my tennis and my family is supporting me, I will play,” he said.
At an age where he can retire in the Coorg hills and gaze at the coffee estates, Bopanna played tennis for India. A professional earns his salary from sports, but this man could have chosen to take the simple way out – Enjoy comforts.
His body has taken a lot of beating, his knees have no cartilage. Physio sessions, massage, yoga, he does all this to push his game. And for what? Not money, it’s passion, love for the sport he was put into by his parents. He has been in camps and so on at a young age in Pune. The last match for India was not as per expectations, but Bopanna never promised a medal. He tried his best, secured a Top 10 finish and made it to Paris 2024.
Will he lead India as captain in the Davis Cup as captain or in Asian Games campaigns? “I will never say no,” said Bopanna. He still plays for pride and will continue till he enjoys it. Don’t be insensitive and ask him when he will retire from professional tennis, please.
Even now, it’s a love-all situation for him, to borrow a tennis phrase.
Also Read: The Agonising Fourth: A Familiar Tale for Indian Olympians