It is strange not to see Rohan Bopanna’s name in the doubles draw of a Grand Slam. Especially so in Wimbledon, as his big game thrives on grass and in the electrifying atmosphere.
This time around, Bopanna decided that there was “no point” trying to compete in Wimbledon!
“First, there are no ATP points this time. Second, I had already played good 10 weeks, and pushed myself hard. So, I decided to take three weeks break at this stage, after playing the Queen’s Club tournament.
Toll on the body
“I know how much toll it takes on the body, playing best of five sets, particularly on grass, because of the unpredictable and low bounce,” said the 42-year-old Bopanna, when queried on the subject.
Rafael Nadal may be the “dangerous” according to Bopanna, but he had no hesitation in naming Novak Djokovic as the favourite to win Wimbledon this time.
His friend and doubles partner Denis Shapovalov may be “a bit low on confidence”, but pulled off a thriller in the first round in five sets.
“He is preparing super hard and has a fantastic fitness trainer,” said Bopanna.
Series of tournaments
Once he gets back to the circuit, there will be a series of tournaments for Bopanna, leading up to the Davis Cup against Norway.
“I will be playing some tournaments which I usually skip. It is going to be another stretch of about 10 weeks, till Davis Cup,” said Bopanna.
Bopanna is only upset that being away from a Grand Slam robs him of the chance to watch the matches that he loves to see.
“I wanted to watch Nick Kyrgios in the fifth set, but that match was not being shown here. That is the only disadvantage,” said Bopanna.
With his rank at No.22, Bopanna said that he and Matwe Middelkoop would “try and make it to the year end Masters for the top-eight teams”.
After competing in the last 49 Grand Slams from 2010, right through the pandemic, Bopanna has skipped one for the first time.
He has competed in 55 Grand Slams in all, and looks good for many more. He hopes to return to the circuit and sustain the high quality fare.
