Important Facts of the News
- Rohan Bopanna has announced his retirement from professional tennis.
- He completed 20 years on the professional tour.
- He began life in a small town of Coorg, India.
- Early training included chopping blocks of wood to develop his serve.
- He built stamina by jogging through coffee estates.
- He practiced on cracked courts before playing in major global arenas.
From Coorg to global courts
Rohan Bopanna has chosen to bring his two-decade-long professional journey to a close. He reflects on a path that started in a small town in Coorg and progressed through unconventional training routines including strengthening his serve by striking wooden blocks and running along coffee plantations to build endurance. Those early, modest routines eventually led him from uneven, cracked practice courts to the bright lights of the world’s biggest stadiums.
Why he steps away now
Speaking with a mix of gratitude and solemnity, Bopanna framed his decision as the natural conclusion of a long and meaningful career. Tennis gave him purpose at difficult moments and taught him resilience, persistence and a clear sense of identity. These themes, he said, guided him through setbacks and kept him returning to the court.
Career memories and legacy
Over twenty years on tour, Bopanna described tennis as more than a sport it was the force that shaped his life. He recalled the discipline of daily practice, the physical tests of endurance, and the emotional lessons learned when matches did not go his way. Those experiences, he indicated, are what he will carry forward after retiring from competition.
Parting note to fans
He closed his message by thanking those who supported him along the way teammates, coaches and fans and by expressing deep appreciation for the journey itself. The announcement marks the end of active competition but, he implied, not the end of his engagement with the sport that defined his life.
Rohan Bopanna A Goodbye..But Not The End.
How do you say goodbye to the thing that shaped your life? After two decades on tour, the time has come I am officially retiring from professional tennis.
As I write this, my heart is heavy and full of gratitude. My journey began in the small town of Coorg. I remember strengthening my serve by chopping blocks of wood, building endurance with runs through coffee estates, and chasing dreams on cracked local courts. To now stand under the lights of the world’s largest arenas feels nothing short of surreal.
Tennis was never merely a sport for me – it became my purpose when I was lost, my strength when I was broken, and my faith when others doubted.
Every time I stepped onto the court, tennis taught me lessons that went far beyond scores and trophies: perseverance in the face of setbacks, the resilience to get back up after defeat, and the fierce will to fight when everything within me said otherwise. Most importantly, it reminded me of why I started and who I am at my core.
To everyone who walked with me on this path – family, coaches, teammates, opponents, support staff, and the fans who cheered from the stands and screens – thank you. Your belief, encouragement and love sustained me through highs and lows alike.
Retiring from professional play does not mean closing the door to the sport that has given me so much. It means beginning a new chapter where I hope to give back: mentoring younger players, promoting tennis across India, and staying connected to a game that will always be part of me.
From the cracked courts of Coorg to global stadiums, the journey has been extraordinary. I leave the competitive stage with pride, humility, and a heart full of memories that will last a lifetime.
With gratitude,
Rohan Bopanna