Rohan Bopanna etched his name into the history books once again as he became the oldest-ever player to win a match at an ATP Masters 1000 event, achieving the remarkable feat at the age of 45 during the Monte Carlo Masters 2025. Teaming up with American rising star Ben Shelton, Bopanna defeated the South American duo of Francisco Cerundolo and Alejandro Tabilo in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5, on Sunday, April 6.
The previous record was held by Canadian doubles legend Daniel Nestor, who had won a match at the Madrid Masters in 2017 at the age of 44 years and 8 months. Ironically, Nestor’s record-setting match back then came against Bopanna himself, when Nestor and Fabrice Martin beat Bopanna and Pablo Cuevas 6-3, 6-2.
In Monte Carlo, the Bopanna-Shelton duo, ranked No.14 in the ATP doubles rankings, took just 71 minutes to seal the win, breaking their opponents’ serve three times during the encounter. The Indo-American pair played with great synergy, combining Bopanna’s vast experience and net play with Shelton’s aggressive baseline hitting and quick movement.
They now face a tough test in the Round of 16 against the experienced Italian pair of Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori, who are known for their grit on clay courts.
This victory marks a crucial turnaround for Bopanna, who has had a rough patch in recent tournaments. After a decent showing at the Qatar Open, where he reached the quarterfinals with Portugal’s Nuno Borges, Bopanna suffered early exits in the Dubai Tennis Championships, Indian Wells Masters, and the Miami Open, failing to progress past the first round in both men’s doubles and mixed doubles formats.
With the clay court season now underway, Bopanna will be eager to find his rhythm and build momentum leading up to the 2025 French Open, a tournament where his powerful serve and tactical nous could again prove invaluable.
Bopanna’s success comes as a beacon of inspiration not only for Indian tennis but for athletes worldwide, proving that age is just a number when skill, dedication, and fitness align. His commitment to the sport and ability to adapt alongside younger partners like Shelton underlines his longevity at the top level.
Meanwhile, in other notable Monte Carlo Masters doubles results:
-
Karen Khachanov and Andrey Rublev made a strong start, beating the sixth-seeded team of Michael Venus and Nikola Mektic 6-4, 6-2.
-
In a surprise result, last year’s finalists Alexander Zverev and Marcelo Melo suffered a one-sided defeat, going down 1-6, 4-6 to Lloyd Glasspool and Julian Cash of Great Britain. The British pair had earlier made headlines for reaching the Miami Open final, where they narrowly lost to Marcelo Arévalo and Mate Pavić.
As the Monte Carlo Masters 2025 progresses, all eyes will be on veterans like Bopanna who continue to defy expectations and raise the bar for excellence well into their forties.
