Rohan Bopanna, the oldest Grand Slam winner, men’s doubles new World No. 1, shows how perseverance pays big time

India's Rohan Bopanna and Australia's Matthew Ebden celebrate with the trophy after winning the men's doubles final against Italy's Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori on Saturday. (Photo: Reuters)

In 2010, Rohan Bopanna reached his first men’s doubles final at a Grand Slam. Despite two nail-biting tiebreakers, it ended in a straight sets loss for him and his then partner, Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, at the US Open. He was 30 years old at the time.

It took 13 long years for him to be back in the final of a Grand Slam again at the 2023 US Open. Once again, Bopanna and current partner, Matthew Ebden, went down to Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury after winning the first set.

On Saturday, Bopanna made his third final of a Major at the Australian Open. This time around, he picked up his first men’s doubles Grand Slam title. And created history along the way as the oldest Grand Slam winner at the age of 43 and the new World No. 1 in doubles next week.

There is third-time lucky and then there is Bopanna’s story of perseverance and commitment. It is about showing up each day, embracing the grind that the highest level of tennis demands, while at the same time, preserving the body to do it all over again the next morning. This has little to do with good fortune; this has everything to do with discipline and harbouring a mentality that it’s never too late.

Yash Pandey, head of sports rehabilitation at Peak Performance in Bengaluru, practising with Rohan Bopanna. (Photo courtesy Yash Pandey)

The magic that Bopanna works on the court today is a result of the efforts that he’s put in off it over the years. Yash Pandey, head of sports rehabilitation at Peak Performance in Bengaluru, is all too familiar with it. Since his first association with Bopanna in 2012, he’s seen his routine evolve to cope with both ageing and injuries.

“Rohan is dedicated in everything that he does - whether it’s the tennis on the court, the conditioning work off it or the rehab routine that we set for him when dealing with injuries. He’ll follow it every single day, whether he’s on tour or during the off season. This alongside his mental strength and humility is what has kept him going all this while,” Pandey says.

He recalls the time when Bopanna was looking at the prospect of surgery on the knees, but ruled against it. Instead, he took time off the game to tackle the injury in a more organic way.

“We know how bad Rohan’s knees are, the cartilage is almost not there in his case. Anyone else would have looked at a procedure, but his commitment to the sport helped him keep away from surgery,” Pandey says.

Besides giving it rest, Pandey explains how resistance bands were one of the important tools that addressed Bopanna’s knee issue.

Yash Pandey, head of sports rehabilitation at Peak Performance in Bengaluru. (Photo courtesy Yash Pandey)

“The knees are primarily controlled by the hip muscles, which are your glutes. A variety of resistance bands are used in a way to strengthen the gluteal muscles, which in turn reduces the overall load and the pain on the knees,” Pandey says.

Gaurav Nijhon, a strength and conditioning coach who has worked with the likes of Ankita Raina and Arjun Kadhe, believes resistance bands can also provide a form of strength training, similar to a dumbbell or a medicine ball. It can build explosive strength and help generate force needed for a sport like tennis. Where it stands out is the convenience of working with it when players are travelling for many weeks during tournaments. The only drawback he feels is that it cannot provide the same physiological response as compared to conventional forms of strength training like squats, deadlifts and bench press.

“Resistance bands can help you with a basic level of training, but they have their limitations. If you want to get stronger, you have to hit the gym,” Nijhon says.

These resistance bands have become an integral part of tennis. Pandey informs of different types that are available to work various parts such as the shoulders, knees, hips, back and ankles. It’s a vital part of any player’s routine - right from activating the muscles during warm-up to working on bettering reflexes on court.

Rohan Bopanna (extreme left) and Mahesh Bhupathi (extreme right) in a men's double. Yash Pandey is the fitness coach for both. (Photo courtesy Yash Pandey)

“Besides strengthening the glutes, we’ve used these bands to improve on this mobility since some areas of Rohan’s body are quite stiff. A lot of tennis players have shoulder or rotator cuff injuries, which is something that can be kept under check using the band. They have multiple applications and can be used to build strength, improve stability and mobility, prevent injuries and for warm-ups. There won’t be a single day that Rohan will pick up a racquet without finishing his routine with the band,” Pandey says.

Another integral part of Bopanna’s work off the court has been yoga. During a press conference at the Australian Open, he mentioned how he took to it during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 to strengthen his knees and body.

According to Nijhon, yoga looks into the aspect of flexibility as well and a few studies have suggested that it also helps with balance.

“Balance is important in tennis because when you are working on balance, you are working on your proprioception. We have little proprioceptors in our joints which essentially help you prevent injuries. Besides, the breathing techniques help the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for rest and recovery,” he says.

Over the last decade, Pandey has had the opportunity to work with top doubles exponents like Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, Daniel Nestor and Bopanna at a time when they were all approaching the fag end of their careers. He feels the common link to all these players is the fact that they are extremely disciplined when it comes to their recovery.

“As we get older, the wear and tear of joints is expected, especially in an intense sport like tennis. So smart planning, not overdoing things and taking on only what is absolutely necessary is really important. And a lot of emphasis on recovery, things like massage, release work and ice baths, is critical to get back on court the next day,” Pandey says.

Pandey has been witness to the good times and the bad during Bopanna’s remarkable career. He recalls celebrating with Bopanna when he teamed up with Bhupathi to win the Paris Masters in 2012. And the following year, when he became the World No. 3 for the first time in Tokyo. He also remembers watching the devastating semi-final loss in the mixed doubles alongside Sania Mirza at the 2016 Olympics.

“Rohan is really grounded, no matter what his achievements are. He knows how to overcome losses and not let it spoil the upcoming tournaments. And at the same time, how to enjoy the big wins,” Pandey says.

For the next few weeks, Bopanna will surely be indulging in a lot of the latter.