Following Rohan Bopanna’s victory in the Australian Open 2024 mixed doubles championship with Matthew Ebden, Rafael Nadal praised the Indian player. In the Rod Laver Arena final on Saturday, January 28, Bopanna and Ebden defeated Simone Boleli and Andrea Vavassori, two Italians, 7-6 (7-0), 7-5.
At 43 years old, Bopanna became the oldest person to win a Grand Slam title. It was also his second championship after he and Gabriela Dabrowski won the mixed doubles championship at the 2017 French Open.
Previously, Nadal reached 500 career victories and became the oldest World No. 1 in doubles. In addition, he shared the coveted Padma Shri award for sports with six other individuals.
Using his Instagram story on Sunday, Nadal praised Bopanna for his “amazing and unique” accomplishment.
“Congrats Rohan on an amazing and unique achievement!!!” wrote Nadal.
Following the match, Bopanna revealed that he had considered quitting tennis two years prior because to his inconsistent play. His wife Supriya and their daughter Tridha were there at Melbourne Park on Saturday to witness him write history.
Bopanna also urged young people to persevere no matter how hopeless the circumstances are and to liberate themselves from the constraints of a time restriction.
Regarding Rafael Nadal, who was supposed to return to Grand Slam competitions following an almost 12-month hiatus. He did, however, withdraw from the hard court major because of a potential injury. Brisbane International marked the veteran’s comeback to competitive tennis.
Nadal was included in the entrance list and will make his comeback in the ATP 250 event in Doha in February. The seasoned player might clash with Daniil Medvedev, Andy Murray, and Andrey Rublev.
It’s also unclear if Rafael Nadal will play in the French Open, which he has won up to 14 times in his career.
