Ageing like fine wine, Rohan Bopanna continued to etch his name in the history books as he reached the final of the 2025 Japan Open in the Men’s doubles category and set a massive world record with his partner Takeru Yuzuki, who hails from Japan and is 18 years younger than him.
Although the Indo-Japanese pair lost the summit clash to the second-seeded pair of Moncao’s Hugo Nys and France’s Edouard Roger-Vasselin in straight sets, by a 7-5, 7-5, Bopanna created history and set a massive world record. Bopanna and Yuzuki, who were unseeded, reached the final by defeating the American pair of Christian Harrison and Evan King.
Rohan Bopanna Creates History
Rohan Bopanna broke a world record, which was also previously held by an Indian, to become the oldest player to reach the final of an ATP 500-level tournament in the men’s doubles category. Bopanna (45 years, 6 months) broke the world record of Indian Tennis legend Leander Paes. Paes, at the age of 44 years, 9 months, had reached the final of the 2018 Dubai Tennis Championships with USA’s James Carretani. The Indo-American pair lost the summit clash in straight sets to Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau.
Overall, Bopanna is the second-oldest player after John McEnroe to reach the final of a men’s doubles event of an ATP-level competition. McEnroe at the age of 47 years, had won the San Jose Title in 2006 with Jonas Bjorkman. Quite incredible, McEnore had come back from retirement to play two doubles tournaments and ended up winning one of them. He had not played the sport at the highest level for 12 years before that.
Bopanna and McEnroe are the only players to play a men’s doubles event after turning 25.
The San Jose tournament was an ATP International Series event, a category which was replaced by ATP 250 in 2009.
Bopanna also holds the record of being the oldest player to win a Men’s doubles Grand Slam (Australian Open 2024) and ATP 1000 Title (Miami Open 2024). Last year, he also became the oldest first-time World No.1
