Rohan Bopanna and Takeru Yuzuki storm into Japan Open doubles final

Wildcard entrants Rohan Bopanna of India and Takeru Yuzuki of Japan stormed into the Japan Open doubles final on Monday, producing one of the tournament’s most thrilling comebacks.

The Japan Open Tennis Championships, an ATP 500 event held annually in Tokyo, features top singles and doubles players from around the world.

With substantial ranking points and prize money on offer, it is one of the key stops on the ATP Tour and often showcases dramatic matches and rising stars alongside seasoned veterans.

Bopanna, India’s doubles stalwart, continues to shine at 45, demonstrating his enduring skill and experience.

Partnered with local Takeru Yuzuki, 27, the duo began their campaign in the first round with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Norway’s Casper Ruud and Australia’s Jordan Thompson. 

In the quarterfinals, Bopanna and Yuzuki faced the third-seeded Argentine pair of Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni.

The match was a stern test, going to two tiebreakers, with the wildcard duo prevailing 7-6(5), 7-6(4) at Ariake Coliseum.

In the semifinals, they overcame the top-seeded Americans Christian Harrison and Evan King in an epic clash.

After dropping the first set 4-6, they took the second 6-3 and eventually won a gripping match tiebreak 18-16, saving three match points along the way.

The Bopanna-Yuzuki pairing will now face the second-seeded Monegasque-French team of Hugo Nys and Édouard Roger-Vasselin in the ATP 500 final on Tuesday.

For Bopanna, who became the oldest Grand Slam doubles champion at the 2024 Australian Open, this Tokyo run is a highlight of his 2025 season.

His partnership with Yuzuki, formed specifically for this home-soil event, underscores his ability to mentor and elevate emerging talent.