Indian tennis stars Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza went down fighting in the final of the Australian Open mixed-doubles category on Friday. Bopanna and Sania lost in straight sets (6-7, 2-6) to Brazil’s Luisa Stefani and Rafael Matos at the Rod Laver Arena. The match also marked the end of Sania’s Grand Slam career. Sania’s family, including her son Izhaan, was present at the Melbourne Park for her last dance at a Grand Slam, while Bopanna’s wife and kids were also spotted cheering for the Indian pair.
After the match, a fan took to Twitter and labelled Bopanna’s wife as the “most beautiful woman”.
Responding to the viral tweet, Bopanna said: “I agree”.
I agree … https://t.co/XVUjZWI1Rm
— Rohan Bopanna (@rohanbopanna) January 28, 2023
Sania capped off her glorious Grand Slam career with runners-up finish at the Australian Open.
“If I cry, these are happy tears. That’s just a disclaimer. I’m still going to play a couple of more tournaments but my journey of my professional career started in Melbourne,” an emotional Sania said as she struggled to hold back tear.
“Rohan was my first-ever mixed doubles partner when I was 14 and we won the nationals, it was 22 year ago and I couldn’t think of a better person, he’s my best friend and one of my best partners to finish my career,” Sania said, thanking Bopanna, who has one French Open mixed doubles title to his credit.
The 36-year-old, who earlier announced that the WTA event in Dubai next month will be her swansong, is India’s most accomplished woman tennis player, having won six Grand Slam title, including three mixed doubles trophies.
She had won the mixed doubles titles at the 2009 Australian Open and the 2012 French Open with Mahesh Bhupathi and the 2014 US Open with Brazillian Bruno Soares.
The Rod Laver Arena has been a happy hunting ground for the Hyderabadi. She has a women’s doubles and mixed doubles title each and has finished runner up four times at the Australian Open.
(With PTI Inputs)
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