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| Human Interest | |
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Further Personal Information | |
| Residence | Bengaluru, IND |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Why this sport? | "Though I played cricket, hockey and football at school, individual sport fascinated me more, because I wanted to be in control of my game." |
General Interest | |
| Hero / Idol | Swedish tennis player Stefan Edberg. (atpworldtour.com, 27 Jun 2016) |
| Awards and honours | In 2018 he was named Sports Icon of the Year at the Indian Oil Sports Conclave. (tennisworldusa.org, 10 Jun 2018) In 2010 he received the Association of Tennis Professionals [ATP] Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year award. (atpworldtour.com, 27 Jun 2016) In 2005 he was presented with the Eklavya Award for outstanding sporting performance by the government of Karnataka in India. (thenews.com.pk, 10 May 2012) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Name of coach | Zeeshan Ali [national], IND; Scott Davidoff [personal], from 2012 |
| Handedness | Right |
| When and where did you begin this sport? | He began playing tennis at age 11. |
Further Personal Information | |
| Occupation | Athlete, Business Owner |
General Interest | |
| Nicknames | Bofors (Facebook page, 06 Jun 2016) |
| Other information | TENNIS ACADEMY, MENTORING In 2016 he founded the Rohan Bopanna Tennis Academy in Bengaluru, India. The academy offers coaching programmes to young players. "Having learnt and played the game in India where the focus is mainly on developing tennis skills, abroad I saw there was an equal focus on both fitness and tennis skills. I realised there was a gap in our [India's] training and methodology, and that fitness is a key component in developing talent from a young age. I wanted to create a truly international coaching experience that developed players to their complete potential, while encouraging them to play the game and have fun while doing so." He has also served as a mentor for the Doubles Dream of India project, which aims to help Indian doubles players win medals at the Olympic Games and other international events. "The idea is to help these players outside their tennis." (timesofindia.indiatimes.com, 04 Jan 2023; rohanbopannatennis.com, 01 Nov 2022; news18.com, 04 Mar 2016) FAMILY His wife Supriya is a psychologist and has served as a director of the Rohan Bopanna Tennis Development Foundation. The couple married in 2012. "Tennis is mostly mental. The physical aspect of training is what is talked about most, but mental conditioning is also very important. You are on tour for 10 or 11 months in a year, and it is not easy to remain focused all the time. My wife is a psychologist, so indirectly I get counselled, which is a very good thing. I talk about what I felt during the match, but not how to hit a forehand or a serve." The birth of his daughter Tridha in 2019 motivated him to continue competing. "I want my daughter to watch me play. I want to keep going for some time." (dnaindia.com, 23 Jan 2023; economictimes.indiatimes.com, 19 Jan 2020; thebridge.in, 19 Nov 2019) FUTURE PLANS His family own a coffee plantation on their estate in the Kodagu region of India, and he says after he retires from tennis, he may take over the running of the plantation. In 2018 he launched his own coffee, Rohan Bopanna's Master Blend. "To be honest, the coffee came first, before my tennis. That's something that is part of the family. We grow coffee, hence my love for it. Me being the only son, I feel there is an opportunity for me to go back whenever I'm done [with tennis] to take care of the plantation." (newsable.asianetnews.com, 13 Mar 2020; cnbctv18.com, 30 Jul 2018; yourstory.com, 30 Jan 2018) |
| Injuries | In September 2022 a knee injury caused him to miss a Davis Cup tie against Norway. (olympics.com, 10 Sep 2022) In 2019 a shoulder injury forced him to withdraw from a Davis Cup tie against Pakistan in Astana, Kazakhstan. (aninews.in, 05 Dec 2019) He suffered a minor shoulder injury at Wimbledon in 2018 and had to withdraw from the tournament. (timesofindia.indiatimes.com, 29 Jul 2018) In 2009 he was sidelined by a knee injury for three months. (newindianexpress.com, 13 Jan 2010) |
Further Personal Information | |
| Languages | English, Hindi |
General Interest | |
| Sporting philosophy / motto | "If you believe in your dream and follow it with true passion and discipline, you can conquer the world." (kodaguconnect.com, 19 Nov 2012) |
Further Personal Information | |
| Family | Wife Supriya, daughter Tridha [2019] |
General Interest | |
| Milestones | At age 43 years and 14 days, he became the oldest tennis player to win an ATP Masters 1000 title when he was victorious in men's doubles alongside Matthew Ebden at the 2023 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, CA, United States of America. (SportsDeskOnline, 27 Apr 2023; atptour.com, 19 Mar 2023) |