ROHAN BOPANNA: Flying the Flag An Interview

Rohan Bopanna is India’s shining star. He has been a part of our Davis cup team since 2002. He recently won the Asian games gold medal in doubles for India and is a recipient of the Arjuna Award. His career high ranking in doubles was No.3 in the world in 2013. As recently as last year, Bopanna won the mixed doubles and his first Grand Slam title at the French Open. In the exclusive interview with Advantage Tennis, Bopanna reflects on his career and his goals and plans for the future.

You have been a successful doubles player and one of India’s top doubles players. At the age of 38, you have won 17 ATP doubles titles, one mixed doubles Grand Slam title and most recently, the Asian games gold medal. Is there more to come?

Thank you very much. Yes it has been a very good doubles career indeed. The most important thing for me is that I am still competing at a high level and enjoying playing tennis. Now my aim is to keep winning bigger titles like the Master Series and the Grand Slams. I still believe in my game so yes, I would say there is surely more to come.

The mixed doubles title at the 2017 French Open made you only the fourth Indian to win a Grand Slam title. How does that make you feel? As a tennis player you dream to win Grand Slams, so winning my first slam in 2017 was truly a big and special moment (I think it took about 24 hours for it to sink in) The incredible amount of messages which I received from friends, family and well wishers was overwhelming and everything sank in only when I was on the flight when all the phones were off and I had time for myself to really sit back and recollect that moment. All this just makes it so special. Its my mantra, that if you believe in yourself anything is truly possible.

You and Aisam–ul-Haq Qureshi from Pakistan had an excellent partnership and found success for quite some years. You even made it into the top 10 as a team on the

With his Davis Cup team mates

ATP rankings. What was it like to be a part of Indo-Pak Express as you were fondly known as?

Well it is the friendship (which I still share) with Aisam that made it very extraordinary. We have known each other for over 20 years now and I believe the camaraderie we share made us play some great tennis together. From winning many titles to making our breakthrough into becoming one of the top teams in the world the rapport we have on and off the court allowed us to accomplish all this. Off the court we both were peace ambassadors for Peace & Sport, a neutral and independent organization based in the Principality of Monaco under the patronage of Prince Albert II of Monaco. Our friendship has only grown from strength to strength over the years.

By partnering with Qureshi, you promoted political harmony in our sensitive relationship with Pakistan. Is politics something that interests you?

Well ofcourse I am upto date with all the happenings and news in our country, but I have no interest in getting into politics.

In 2010, you and your partner Qureshi beat the world no.1 pair of the Bryan brothers at the Legg Meson tennis classic in Washington because it is not only the kid who makes the sacrifices, it’s the parents too. Having your parents understand and support your dream really helps you perform better. In my case, my parents have always been extremely encouraging. Every parent would always be concerned about their ward but knowing when to step back is also extremely crucial. My parents knew how to strike the balance. They were always there for me, but they also put their trust and faith in the coaches and professionals to do their job, which helped me a lot. Photo: Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA, Inc

D.C. How much did that win mean to you?

2010 was our breakthrough year and this tournament was leading upto the US Open so beating the No1 team in the world gave us a huge confidence boost and truly helped us over the few weeks after. We knew if we played our game we could beat anyone.

What has been the most important milestone in your career?

As a professional athlete, each stage in life is like a milestone which one keeps building on. For me being a part of the Davis cup team since 2002, playing Roger Federer in 2006 in Halle, Germany, to making my first Grand Slam final in 2010, winning the crucial 5th rubber of the Davis cup tie against Brazil in singles, making finals in 2012 and 2015 of the London Masters, representing India at the Olympics, the Grand Slam victory, Asian Games Gold medal, Arjuna award all have been significant milestones.

So it’s impossible to pick one for me.

Your parents are huge supporters of your career. How important a role does parental support play in a sportsperson’s life today?

It is the most important role for an athlete and especially to have both the parents on the same page, After your retirement from professional tennis, do you see yourself continuing to be associated with tennis in India in some way?

Yes absolutely. I have already started my own tennis academy, I have been running it for the past two and a half years now. I am funding it myself currently and one of my closest family friend Mr. Rahul Chittyana has been helping me run the academy in a professional way in terms of managing all our full time Serbian and Indian coaches and also the kids. He looks after the day to day affairs of the academy which makes it little easier for me when I am traveling for my tournaments and other professional commitments.

You are involved in charity and support various causes. Is that personally important to you?

Yes it is indeed very important. I believe in giving back and wherever I can help out I try and do as much as I can in my own capacity.

How does it feel to go down in history as one of India’s most important tennis players?

Thank you so much for that. It makes me proud to be one of the players who represented India and brought laurels to the country. I don’t think there is any bigger joy than

With former doubles partner Aisam Qureshi from Pakistan

representing the entire nation and its collective dream.

Where do you think Indian tennis stands today?

Right now we have some good young crop of players coming up. I feel if we have more international tournaments in India we will definitely see more growth in tennis and have tons of payers representing the country.

Are the state tennis associations competent in India in promoting and encouraging tennis?

Few associations are helping out the players which is great to see. I still feel a lot more local associations can reach out and do a lot more for the players though. It is really good to see that the government is now supporting sport in a big way and we saw some great results recently in the Commonwealth, Asian and Olympic Games. Its truly encouraging for me personally to see various athletes from the country doing so well and it’s only going to get better.

What was it like partnering Divij Sharan at the Asian Games?

Playing with Divij was really good and a lot of fun. He is a very hardworking and talented player. He has had a great 2018 and has been doing very well on the ATP circuit. I get along with him very well off court as well so it was easy to communicate and play with him on court. What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

When my wife takes off from her work and travels with me for tournaments I get to explore the cities and places. Normally when I travel by myself I don’t really go around the city as its boring alone. Also recently I launched my own coffee brand with Flying Squirrel so that along with my tennis academy keep me occupied. In my balance time I like reading books on building business and also watch a lot of Netflix.

Are you happy with the way your career has gone?

Yes absolutely. No regrets.

Award for Best Printing Co. for Hotel Industry 2012-13

Award for Best Printing Co. for Hotel Industry 2013-14

SAHARA Q SHOP