It was in late 2022 when the successful doubles partnership of Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell, Wimbledon champions and Australian Open finalists, came to a natural end.
Ebden, in his mid-30s, and Purcell had different priorities. Australian Purcell was desperately keen to see where his singles skills could take him, whereas his compatriot Ebden, then a two-time doubles major winner, was suddenly looking for a new partner.
Rohan Bopanna and Matthew Ebden saviour their victory in the Australian Open men’s doubles.Credit: AP
Enter Rohan Bopanna, a super veteran and accomplished ATP doubles player. For both men, it seemed the right and logical choice to join forces.
Ebden had known the Indian doubles specialist for a long time; they’d once practiced in his home town of Perth when Bopanna was there for the Hopman Cup.
“We were both looking for partners at the end of the season for the new year,” said Ebden, who was a runner-up with Purcell at the Australian Open two years ago when the Special Ks – Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis – charged to their famous but unlikely doubles title.
“We were … two people that were pretty highly ranked that could join up that didn’t have a partnership.
“It’s only rare that [with] a couple teams here or there, maybe they split or one retires or something that someone becomes available.”
The rest is now history. Glorious history.
Twelve months after they first played together in Adelaide before last year’s Australian Open, Ebden, 36, and 43-year-old Bopanna combined for a remarkable grand slam doubles triumph on Saturday, defeating Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori 7-6 (7-0), 7-5.
They will officially be the new men’s world No.1 doubles combination when rankings are released on Monday. With a combined age of 79, they will become the oldest No.1 pairing in tennis history.
While both men have previously reached the pinnacle in mixed doubles, this was Bopanna’s first major in men’s doubles — at his 61st attempt. Playing in his 17th Australian Open, Ebden was Bopanna’s 12th different men’s partner at Melbourne Park.
Bopanna’s achievement to reach the top in his chosen craft earned prompt plaudits from across world sport, but most especially in India. Congratulatory messages came from Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble, VVS Laxman and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi.
Mike Bryan was 41 years old when his stint atop the rankings ended in July 2019, while Martina Navratilova was a month shy of her 50th birthday when she won the 2006 US Open mixed doubles – her 59th and final major title.
“I think right now I’m playing my best tennis of my life,” Bopanna said.
“The biggest reason for that is also how I’m managing my body, my time, in terms of there are days when I tell my coach or Matty that I don’t want to practice.
“From the first day I landed here in Adelaide [until] yesterday, every single day I have been in the ice bath. I think that is a number one recovery for me, which really … helps all the inflammation in the body.”
For Ebden, witnessing his partner’s achievements up close was a lesson in itself.
“I think this is also, for me … a lesson in ageism,” said Ebden.
Matthew Ebden and Rohan Bopanna celebrate after defeating Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori in the Australian Open 2024 men’s doubles final.Credit: AP Photo
“We see sexism, but there is a thing, ageism, and we see it a lot in media, people, culture, whatever.
“I see it. We see it. Of course I have the oldest partner on the tour, I think. It’s natural. Guys say ‘oh, he’s so old; too old’.
“Seriously, I’m like, ‘guys watch how the guy plays tennis. What does age have to do with it?’.”
Their combined experience allowed the pair to stay composed despite the hiccups and hairy moments they’ve encountered over the past year. They got to the Wimbledon semis last year, then to the US Open final, and eventually to this year’s decider in Melbourne despite trailing 0-5 in the first round against Australian wildcards James Duckworth and Marc Polmans.
“Our first two tournaments we lost first round, first round, in January last year,” Ebden recalled about the early days of their partnership.
“We just knew that we could keep trusting our level. We knew we each had a really great level to bring, and then it was about finding a way to make it work. There was no reason it couldn’t or shouldn’t work.
“I think we both challenged each other to improve in certain areas. I think that part of the partnership has been a godsend, maybe for both of us because I feel like we both improved a heck of a lot over 12 months. I know I certainly have.
“I think these days to win in doubles or to be No.1 – the best – you have to be really great in every area. You can’t just be a serve-volleyer or have a bad forehand or have bad returns or a bad serve or something. The level is so, so, so high.”
Bopanna points to an entire sporting life of practicing patience. He recalled the downtimes, such as how he once felt after a bad loss.
“I still remember back in Estoril, in Portugal, I was sitting there, I had not won a match for the first four months of my journey,” Bopanna said.
“That’s when I told my wife, I told Scott [Davidoff] as well – my coach – that, you know, ‘I don’t think I can go any further. I’m not winning matches. I’ve been playing 20 years of tennis. I’ve never had this terrible of a start – not winning matches’.”
Thankfully, for his – and Matthew Ebden’s – sake, he talked himself out of it.
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