Veteran Indian star Rohan Bopanna has set a new personal benchmark, remaining the oldest ATP Masters 1000 champion after winning the Miami Open doubles title with partner Matt Ebden. The pair continued their stellar run of form at Hard Rock Stadium, overcoming a first-set deficit to secure a hard-fought 6-7(3), 6-3, 10-6 victory over the team of Ivan Dodig and Austin Krajicek.
Indian veteran tennis player Rohan Bopanna rewrote his own record to continue to be the oldest ATP Masters 1000 champion as he and his Australian partner Matt Ebden won the men’s doubles crown at the Miami Open. Continuing their impressive season, the 44-year-old Bopanna and Ebden rallied from a set down to pull off an exciting 6-7(3), 6-3, 10-6 win over Croatia’s Ivan Dodig and American Austin Krajicek at Hard Rock Stadium.
This victory allows Bopanna to surpass the milestone he achieved at 43 during the previous year's Indian Wells tournament and secures his return to the top of the doubles rankings. With this win, Bopanna has now contested 14 ATP Masters 1000 finals, bringing his career total to 63 ATP Tour finals and 26 doubles titles. He also achieved a historic feat, becoming only the second Indian player, after Leander Paes, to appear in the finals of every single one of the nine ATP Masters events.
Entering as the top seeds, Bopanna and Ebden used their deep experience to navigate the final stages of the championship. The first set was a nail-biter; despite holding three set points while serving at 6-5, they were denied by the second-seeded pair, who forced a tiebreak and took the set. Undeterred, Bopanna and Ebden launched a comeback in the second set, securing an early break to level the match. The deciding tiebreaker was a tense, back-and-forth affair, but the current Australian Open champions ultimately prevailed.
Following their success at the Australian Open, Bopanna made history as the oldest player to reach the number one spot in the ATP rankings. He briefly slipped to second place after a quarterfinal exit in Dubai and a round-of-32 finish at Indian Wells. However, their victory at the Miami Open ensures that the pair will once again be recognized as the top-ranked duo in the world.
\"It's an incredible feeling. These major events are exactly why we play this game,\" Bopanna remarked after the trophy ceremony. \"My goal is always to perform at the highest level in Grand Slams and Masters 1000s. It feels great to maintain this record and prove that I can still compete with the best in the world.\"
Reflecting on the match, Ebden noted, \"It was a tough battle. These opponents are incredibly resilient and fight for every point. Much like our last encounter, the momentum kept shifting. They played excellent return games, and we let a couple of opportunities slip in that first set. Even though they won the tiebreak, we just hit the reset button and kept moving forward.\"