Speaking on court immediately after sealing their 7-6(5), 6-7(5), 10-6 semifinal win at Melbourne Park, Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza look back at partnering first as teenagers in 2001 and reaching the 2023 Australian Open final together.
Sania Mirza & Rohan Bopanna · Mixed Doubles Semifinal
Into Final · On-Court Reaction| Round | Match | Score | Result | Match Breakdown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SF | Sania Mirza (IND) / Rohan Bopanna (IND) d. (3)Desirae Krawczyk (USA) / Neal Skupski (GBR) | 7-6(5), 6-7(5), 10-6 | WON | Defeated 2-time reigning Wimbledon Mixed Doubles champions |
“Rohan was my first mixed doubles partner when I was 14 and he was 20 — and 22 years later we are in the final of the Australian Open with a chance to win it for India.”
— Sania Mirza & Rohan Bopanna · On-Court InterviewLegendary pair of Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna are through to the mixed doubles finals at the Australian Open as they defeated 3rd seed and reigning Wimbledon champs of the last two years in the semis.
SM : Yeah, it was an amazing match and obviously there was a lot of nerves. Playing my last slam and it’s so special to play with Rohan, he was my first mixed doubles partner when I was 14 years old. I was 14 and he was 20 and today I am 36 and he is 42 and we are still playing, so we have a solid relationship. We are so excited to comeback here and give ourselves another chance and we were playing one of the best mixed doubles team on tour and we knew we had to come up with our best and yeah I am glad we were able to do that.
SM : It stopped shaking, yeah kind of…it’s getting there (laughs)
RB : No absolutely as Sania mentioned it was a tough team we were playing there and specially when you had so many chances it’s not easy to keep the momentum going. Having lost that 2nd set with match points I think we stayed strong got an early lead and that’s what kept our momentum and then we came up with some good shots. And yeah never easy playing at these moments but yeah really really happy to be sharing the court with Sania, I mean it’s been an incredible journey from Sania inspiring everyone back home and today so many fans come here and cheer us. Thank you to everybody and yeah one more to go so looking forward to it!
RB : I think that would be the absolute dream you can’t get anything better than that. To finish the last slam with a title I think it will be really special and we need it in India, we need to keep inspiring everyone back there and I think this is the only way to keep it going.
SM : I am so emotional, I don’t cry in front of people but I am almost there right now. And thank you so much guys it means so much I feel the love for 18 years that I have been coming here and it feels like home for me honestly cause I got family here, I eat at home, I get so much home food and I have all this Indians coming out and supporting me for the last 18 years and it’s been quiet a journey and I am really gonna miss coming back here.
Full post match conversation video below :