“A Goodbye..But Not The End” — that’s how Rohan Bopanna’s long heart-felt message on social media began, announcing his retirement from tennis on Saturday.

Bopanna’s professional career spanned over two decades during which he won two grand slam titles and also became the oldest men’s doubles world No.1 in history.

That milestone had come in 2024, when he won the Australian Open doubles title with Australia’s Matthew Ebden. He also won the the French Open mixed doubles partnering Canadian Gabriela Dabrowski in 2017.

Bopanna is among the only four Indians to win grand slam titles, the others being Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza.

In 2024, aged 44 and partnering Ebden, Bopanna also became the oldest ATP Masters 1000 champion by claiming the men’s doubles title in Miami.

“How do you bid farewell to something that gave your life its meaning? After 20 unforgettable years on tour... I'm officially hanging up my racquet,” the 45-year-old wrote on social media. He, however, added: “I may be stepping away from competition, but my story with tennis isn’t over.” A hint that he would be associated with the sport in some capacity.

Bopanna had ended his India career after the Paris Olympics last year. He had announced his retirement from Davis Cup in 2023, playing his last tie against Morocco in Lucknow.

Bopanna, who hails from a coffee-growing family in Coorg, Karnataka, won men’s doubles gold in the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games and the mixed doubles title in Hangzhou four years later.

“Representing India has been the greatest honour of my life. Each time I walked onto the court with the tricolour beside me, I felt its pride and its value,” he added. “Every serve, every point, every match — I played for that flag, for that feeling, for my country.”

His last match was at the ongoing Paris Masters where, partnering Alexander Bublik, he lost in the first round.

“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 also paid tribute to his family and coaches, crediting them for their support throughout his career, and thanked his fellow players and fans.