Indian tennis star Rohan Bopanna one of only four players from India to win a Grand Slam title announced on Saturday that he is retiring from professional tennis. His decision marks the end of a career that lasted more than 20 years on the tough ATP Tour. The 45-year-old played his last match at the Paris Masters teaming up with Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan. The pair were defeated in the first 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 its 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 finished representing India after the Paris Olympics last year. He had retired from the Davis Cup in 2023 playing his final match against Morocco in Lucknow. The doubles expert who spent 22 years in the game said that tennis was more than just a sport for him — it gave him motivation strength and faith during tough times. 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 expressed gratitude to his family saying they had stood by him throughout his career. He appreciated his parents for all their sacrifices thanked his sister Rashmi for always motivating him and called his wife Supriya his biggest support away from the 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 started his professional career in the early 2000s grew into one of India’s top doubles players recognized for his strong serve and long career on the ATP Tour. During his time in tennis he played for India in many Davis Cup matches Grand Slam tournaments and the Olympics. He claimed his first Grand Slam title at the 2017 French Open winning the mixed doubles with Gabriela Dabrowski from Canada. Later in 2024 he captured his first men’s doubles Grand Slam title at the Australian Open with Matthew Ebden. In 2023 Bopanna and Ebden also won the Indian Wells championship making him the oldest player to win an ATP Masters title at age 43. The following year he became the oldest world No. 1 in doubles achieving the milestone during his Australian Open success. Bopanna plans to remain active in tennis. He has recently introduced the UTR Tennis Pro event to India and is involved in several new projects related to the sport.