Rohan Bopanna announces retirement after two decades on Tour
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New Delhi (PTI): Indian tennis veteran Rohan Bopanna, one among the only four Indians to win Grand Slam titles, on Saturday announced his retirement from professional tennis, bringing an end to a career spanning more than two decades on the challenging ATP Tour.
The 45-year-old Bopanna's final appearance on the Tour came at the Paris Masters, where he partnered Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik, losing in the opening round earlier this week.
In an emotional statement titled "A Goodbye… But Not The End," Bopanna said he was "officially hanging up racquet," reflecting on a journey that took him from his hometown of Coorg to the biggest arenas in world tennis.
"How do you bid farewell to something that gave your life its meaning? After 20 unforgettable years on tour, however, it's time..
"Starting my journey from a small town of Coorg in India, chopping blocks of wood to strengthen my serve, jogging through coffee estates to build stamina and chasing dreams on cracked courts to standing under the lights of the biggest arenas in the world—it all feels surreal," Bopanna wrote.
Bopanna had ended his India career after the Paris Olympics last year. He had announced his retirement from Davis Cup in 2023, playing his last tie against Morocco in Lucknow.
The doubles specialist, who played for 22 years, described tennis as more than a sport, calling it a source of "purpose, strength and belief" through challenging moments.
"Every time I stepped onto a court, it taught me perseverance, resilience to rise, to fight again when everything inside me said I couldn’t—and most of all, reminded me why I started and who I am," he said.
Bopanna also paid tribute to his family, crediting them for their support throughout his career..
He thanked his parents for their sacrifices, his sister Rashmi for her constant encouragement, and his wife Supriya for being his “greatest partner off court.”.
He dedicated a heartfelt note to his daughter, Tridha, saying she gave him “new purpose and a softer strength.
"Every match I played in these last years, I played for you—to show you that dreams are worth fighting for and that kindness and courage matter more than winning," he wrote.
Bopanna, who turned professional in the early 2000s, became one of India’s most successful doubles players, known for his powerful serve and longevity on the ATP Tour. Over his career, he represented India in multiple Davis Cup ties, Grand Slam events, and the Olympics.
He won his first Grand Slam when he triumphed at the French Open mixed doubles event with Canadian partner Gabriela Dabrowski in 2017 and won his first and only men's doubles title with Matthew Ebden at the Australian Open in 2024.
In 2023, Bopanna won the Indian Wells trophy with partner Ebden, becoming the oldest ATP Masters champion at 43 years-old.
He also became the oldest world number one in doubles in 2024 during his successful Australian Open run, aged 43.
Bopanna is likely to stay involved in the game. He recently got UTR Tennis Pro to India and is working on several initiatives.
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Odisha: Normalcy returns to violence-hit Malkangiri; internet services fully restored
Malkangiri (PTI): Normalcy returned to Odisha’s Malkangiri district on Monday, nearly a week after around 200 villages were damaged in violent clashes in a village, with the district administration fully restoring internet services, a senior official said.
Additional District Magistrate Bedabar Pradhan said internet services, suspended across the district on December 8 to curb the spread of rumours and misinformation following the clashes, were restored after the situation improved.
The suspension had been extended in phases till 12 noon on Monday.
The administration also withdrew prohibitory orders imposed under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita within a 10-km radius of MV-26 village, where arson incidents were reported on December 7 and December 8.
Though the violence was confined to two villages, tension had gripped the entire district, as the incident took the form of a clash between local tribals and Bengali settlers following the recovery of a headless body of a woman on December 4, officials said.
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The violence broke out after residents of Rakhelguda village allegedly set ablaze several houses belonging to Bengali residents, forcing hundreds to flee. The headless body of Lake Podiami (51), a woman from the Koya tribe, was recovered from the banks of the Poteru river on December 4, while her head was found six days later at a location about 15 km away.
Officials said the district administration held several rounds of discussions with representatives of the tribal and Bengali communities, following which both sides agreed to maintain peace.
Relief and rehabilitation work has since been launched at MV-26 village, with preliminary assessment pegging property damage at around Rs 3.8 crore.
A two-member ministerial team headed by Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo visited the affected village, interacted with officials and locals, and submitted a report to the chief minister.
So far, 18 people have been arrested in connection with the violence, the officials said, adding that despite the withdrawal of prohibitory orders and restoration of internet services, security forces, including BSF and CRPF personnel, continue to be deployed to prevent any untoward incident.
On Sunday, Nabarangpur MP Balabhadra Majhi visited MV-26 and neighbouring Rakhelguda villages, and held discussions with members of both communities as part of efforts to rebuild confidence and restore peace.
More than two lakh Bengali-speaking Bangladeshis were rehabilitated by the Centre in Malkangiri and Nabarangpur districts in 1968, and they currently reside in 124 villages of Malkangiri.
