Rohan Boppana has become the oldest to reach a major final |Courtesy-SAI
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- Rohan Bopaana and Matthew Edben reached the US Open final
- Boppana reached a men's doubles grand slam final after 13 years
- Bopanna is the oldest male player to reach a major final
Veteran Indian tennis player Rohan Bopanna created history on Thursday (September 7) by reaching the final of the 2023 US Open men's doubles final with partner Australian Matthew Ebden. The pair defeated Nicolas Mahut and
in the semi-final at the Louis Armstrong Stadium in straight sets (7-6, 6-2) to seal their spot in the final.
The 43-year-old Bopanna is the oldest man in history to reach the final of a major event. Bopanna, aged 43 years and six months, beat the record of Daniel Nestor (43 years and four months). He has also reached the final of a men's doubles event in a grand slam after a 13-year gap. His last appearance in the summit clash was in his victorious 2010 campaign, which remains his only men's doubles grand slam victory to date.
Bopanna had played the mixed doubles final of the 2023 Australian Open alongside Sania Mirza earlier this year, in what was the Indian female tennis star's final grand slam of her career. However, Bopanna and Mirza had fallen short of their aim.
Bopanna will be looking to win only the third grand slam title of his career. Alongside the 2010 US Open men's doubles title, he also lifted the mixed doubles title at the 2017 French Open. Bopanna fell short in the mixed doubles final of the 2018 Australian Open too.
Bopanna and Ebden will face the winner of the clash between Rajeev Ram/ Joe Salisbury and Ivan Dogic/Austin Krajicek in the final. The Ram-Salisbury pair are the double-defending champions, having won the title in 2021 and 2022.
Earlier this year, Bopannna and Ebden won the title at Indian Wells. This made Bopanna the oldest person to win an ATP Masters 1000 title. Bopanna will now look to become the oldest male player in history during the Open Era to lift a Grand Slam title.
