Bopanna rivals McEnroe by reaching Tokyo last at age 45

Rohan Bopanna

Bopanna rivals McEnroe by reaching Tokyo last at age 45

McEnroe gained San Jose in 2006 at age 47, after 12-year hiatus

September 29, 2025

Already the oldest man to win a significant title, the oldest ATP Masters 1000 champion and the oldest first-time doubles world No. 1, Rohan Bopanna is now the second-oldest tour-level males’s doubles finalist within the Open Period. After the Indian’s run this week on the Kinoshita Group Japan Open Tennis Championships, solely John McEnroe has reached a doubles last at a later age.

Teaming with Japan’s Takeru Yuzuki, Bopanna superior to his sixty fourth tour-level last with a dramatic victory on Monday. The pair saved three match factors to upset prime seeds Christian Harrison and Evan King 4-6, 6-3, 18-16, establishing a Tuesday last showdown towards second seeds Edouard Roger-Vasselin and Hugo Nys.

On the age of 45, Bopanna has reached his first tour-level title match since successful the Miami ATP Masters 1000 final March with Matthew Ebden.

McEnroe was 47 when he gained the 2006 San Jose title with Jonas Bjorkman. The American returned from retirement for 2 doubles tournaments that season, successful San Jose in February and reaching the quarter-finals in Stockholm in October, additionally with Bjorkman. His San Jose title got here after 12 years out of the sport; in his last match earlier than his preliminary retirement, McEnroe misplaced to Bjorkman within the Rotterdam doubles semi-finals in February of 1994.

Bopanna gained the final two finals he performed, making historical past with titles on the Australian Open and Miami final yr on the age of 43. Along with his Australian Open title, he climbed to No. 1 within the PIF ATP Doubles Rankings for the primary time.

McEnroe first reached doubles world No. 1 in 1979 at age 20. The American gained 77 tour-level doubles titles and earned 544 tour-level doubles wins in his profession. Bopanna is in search of his twenty seventh title and 538th win within the Tokyo last.