Rohan Bopanna I'm at level 43, not age 43!

Indeed, age is just a number for the oldest man to attain the World No. 1 ranking. Bopanna, who has won the Australian Open men's doubles title after a two-decade-long career, has not only defied age but has achieved this feat playing with no cartilage in his knees. His is a story of true grit and of turning limitations into opportunity'

-  Ravi Raj

His eyes glistened when he saw a loopy ball in the air, and every bone and sinew of his body came in unison to produce a throbbing overhead smash - a winning smash oozing with unfiltered jubilance before Rohan Bopanna fell to the ground, soaking in the greatness of what he has just achieved. It was his first grand slam title in seven years. If not for the etiquettes, Bopanna perhaps would have loved to stay in the supine state for a long time, embracing the hallowed turf of Rod Laver Arena where he has just become the oldest man to win the grand slam title. It wasn't an easy match by any stretch of the imagination, but Bopanna and his Australian partner Matthew Ebden raised the level when it really mattered, to overcome the enterprising challenge of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori.

When Bopanna made his grand slam debut in 2006, Orkut was still the hottest thing on the internet, Bluetooth the primary medium for exchanging music, and Nokia an unputdownable behemoth.

More than two decades later none of these technologies hold any relevance to the world, but Bopanna is still going strong if that's not the mark of immense longevity, then what could be? In fact, his relevance and stature reached the zenith this month, when he became the oldest grand slam winner, at 43.

"I think it's been a dream. To play this sport for twenty years and to be able to achieve it is extremely humbling. At the end of the day when you change your limitation and make it an opportunity, that is when you really make a difference. Perseverance has always been my biggest strength," said Bopanna to ATP Tour.