At 43, a Slam doubles peak for Bopanna

Stationed at the net, Rohan Bopanna lunged full stretch to his right to send back a winner and set up two championship points. Seconds later, after smashing the ball from high up at the net, he slumped on the bright blue Rod Laver Arena and lay on his back with hands on the head.

- Rutvick Mehta

So did his partner Matthew Ebden, before they both rose and jumped to exchange a chest bump. The child-like enthusiasm of winning a first men’s doubles Grand Slam was evident through those moments. The age, well, not so much. 

At age 43 and attempt 61 since making his doubles debut in a Major 16 years ago, Bopanna finally wrapped his hands around a men’s doubles Slam title for the first time at the Australian Open on Saturday to become the oldest man to do so.