Rohan Bopanna and his new partner, Nicolas Barrientos, faced an early exit from the Australian Open 2025 men’s doubles event. The Indo-Colombian pair, seeded 14th, were defeated by the Spanish duo of Pedro Martinez and Jaume Munar in straight sets, with scores of 5-7, 6-7 (5). The match, which lasted close to two hours, saw Bopanna and Barrientos start strongly but falter at crucial moments.
Failure continues for Rohan Bopanna
Bopanna, a former world number one, had won the Australian Open title last year with his former partner Matthew Ebden, making him the oldest man in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam title at the age of 43. However, the partnership with Ebden ended after the Turin ATP Finals in November last year, leading to his new pairing with Barrientos. Despite a promising start, the pair struggled to maintain their momentum against the consistent baseline play and tactical net play of the Spanish team.
In the second set, Bopanna and Barrientos managed to stage a spirited fightback, breaking their opponents’ serve to level the score at 5-5 and pushing the match to a tie-break. However, they were unable to hold their nerve in the tie-break, ultimately losing 7-5 to the Spaniards. This early exit was a disappointment for Bopanna, who had high hopes for his new partnership.
Defending Champion Rohan Bopanna lost in Round 1 .#AustralianOpen2025 pic.twitter.com/ie0hYGeX7h
— Team Bharat 🇮🇳 🥇 (@YTStatslive) January 14, 2025
Earlier in the tournament, India’s top-ranked singles player Sumit Nagal also faced a first-round exit, losing to world No. 25 Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic in straight sets. Despite the setbacks, Bopanna remains determined to improve and continue competing at the highest level.
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