Doubles veteran says he misses the camaraderie now
NEW YORK: Rohan Bopanna bids adieu to Davis Cup with mixed feelings - a competition that was his first love, a stage on which he not only enjoyed exhilarating highs, but also revelled in the sense of team and togetherness. The 43-year-old veteran, who will play his 50th Davis Cup match when India take on Morocco (September 16 and 17) in Lucknow, bemoaned the lack of camaraderie in today's side.
Bopanna, who has a 22-27 win-loss record in Davis Cup (10-17 singles and 12-10 doubles), said the team competition had also become an individual exercise. In an exclusive chat with TOI, Bopanna advocated change, and said he was open to taking on the responsibility of bringing back team spirit to the side.
Excerpts...
What does the Davis Cup mean to you?
It was the No. 1 goal for me growing up, to represent India one day. When my parents put me in tennis they said, hopefully one day, he plays for India. The day I got into the team (2002), dad and mom threw a huge party in Coorg.
Once I was in the team, the greatest learning for me was from the camaraderie we enjoyed. No matter what the differences, during that week, we had great camaraderie. That's why I loved the Davis Cup. Today I miss that camaraderie. It's just not there. I talk to Somdev (Devvarman) a lot about it, Davis Cup has also become an individual sport.
What do you mean?
There's no team atmosphere, everybody is doing his own thing, everybody is worried about his own thing. That love of being in a team atmosphere, not just when you're playing, but everyone together cheering as a team. That's gone away the past few years. A team atmosphere must be nurtured by someone spearheading the team.
Did this lack of camaraderie hasten the end for you in Davis Cup?
I don't think it hastened the end; I just feel sad that it's not there anymore. The guys are missing out on the Davis Cup atmosphere, which is showing in the results too. You have to push each other; you've got to be there for one another. There was a tie (in 2011) when it was just Somdev and me in Serbia. That week, Mahesh (Bhupathi) and Leander (Paes) didn't show up at the last minute, it was just the two of us. Sriram Balaji and Karan Rastogi were there as the reserves. They pulled Yuki (Bhambri) out of a Futures tournament, he was playing in the US, but even that atmosphere, even though it was just the two of us fighting… I still get goosebumps. This is what the young guys need to feel. Now it just feels like a job and the Davis Cup is not a job.
Farewell tie...
I would've loved to play my last tie at home in Bengaluru. Over the years, there have been so many wonderful people who have been supportive. Today, yes, we are going to play in India, but we're playing in Lucknow. None of us (this team) have played there.
Thankfully it is in India though, I will have friends and family flying down from Coorg and Bengaluru. Some 75 people are coming, it's a long trip, Bengaluru to Lucknow. It would've been 400-500 people (friends and family) if it was in Bengaluru. As we no longer have an ATP tournament in India, when I call it a day, it will be somewhere outside India.
What are our chances of qualifying for the men's doubles at the 2024 Olympics?
If I finish in the top-10 (cut is just before Wimbledon 2024), that guarantees a spot for us. That's still a long way though. The other option will be if we have two players in the top-20 or 30 of the rankings, last time the cut-off was 60-65. It will be truly special if I get one more chance to play in the Olympics.
