Indian doubles star Rohan Bopanna was recently awarded the Arjuna Award and the Asian Games Gold Medalist could not have been happier. The 38-year old won the French Open Mixed Doubles title last year and the Asian Games this year would have loved to be present for the Award distribution ceremony but had to travel for the China Tournament.

“The Asian Games gold was more special, especially because of the fact that I had a tear on my Latissimus Dorsi (shoulder muscle) and was out for six weeks. To come straight back to competitions like the Asian Games and the US Open, I was extremely happy with my performance,” said Bopanna, who also reached the US Open Doubles Quarter-Finals.

Bopanna was hoping that he was in contention for India’s highest sporting honour – the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award. “It has been a long wait for me to get the Arjuna award. It truly means a lot. I was heart-broken last year when I did not get it.

I can surely keep trying in the future for the Khel Ratna,” Bopanna added. With four big events lined up in the season, Bopanna stays focussed to play his best. “Edourad (Roger-Vasselin) and [I] have an outside shot for the London Masters.

With two ATP 500 and two ATP 1000 Masters left, I still believe that we have a great chance to qualify for the year-end championship,” said Bopanna.

source: http://www.tennisworldusa.org / Tennis World / Home / by Philip Anderson / September 23rd, 2018