Rohan Bopanna after winning Australian Open doubles title: 'I'm at level 43, not age 43'

Rohan Bopanna reigned supreme as he became only the third Indian to clinch a men's doubles Grand Slam title, winning the Australian Open with Aussie partner Matthew Ebden. The Indo-Australian pair were in sensational form, sealing a commanding victory against Italy's Simone Bolelli, Andrea Vavassori at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, on Saturday.

Bopanna is also the World No. 1 in men's doubles and is the oldest-man ever in the Open Era to clinch a Grand Slam trophy.

This was Bopanna's second Grand Slam title, having won the French Open mixed doubles title with Canada's Gabriela Dabrowski in 2017.

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Bopanna and Ebden sealed a 7-6(0) 7-5 win in a thrilling contest which lasted one hour and 39 minutes. The first set was a tight affair, but Bopanna and his partner wrapped up a perfect tie-breaker to clinch it. Then in the second set, it was all about mental strength in the closing stages, as they reigned supreme towards the end.

Bopanna, aged 43 years and 329 days, reacted to defeating the age factor, which has haunted him over the last years. Since 2019, he has been suffering from fitness issues, particularly at the knee.

Speaking during the post-match trophy presentation, the Indian tennis star said, "As Matt said, you definitely know how old I am. I’ve changed it a bit & said I’m a level 43, not age 43. Obviously this couldn't have been possible without a fantastic Aussie partner by my side. Thanks to Matt...we had a fantastic season last year. For me to win my first men's doubles grand slam here at the Asian pacific grand slam, it’s totally a home slam."

During the course of the Grand Slam event, Bopanna was also named for the Padma Shri award by the Indian government.

During their run to the final, Bopanna and Ebden prevailed in six set deciders, including two super tiebreaks, to reach their straight Grand Slam final together. They had a similar run at the US Open last year.