Ace tennis player Rohan Bopanna, who won the men's doubles Australian Open title last week, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday and presented him with the racket with which he won the Grand Slam.
"I had the privilege to meet our honourable Prime Minister Modi ji today. This acknowledgement is very humbling & it was my honour to present the very racket that led me to become World no. 1 and the AO grand slam champion," Bopanna said on X.
"Your (PM Modi's) grace has left me inspired & encouraged," he said.
Replying to Bopanna's post, Modi said, "Glad to have met you @rohanbopanna. Your accomplishment makes India proud and your dedication motivates several people. My best wishes for your endeavours ahead."
Bopanna became only the third Indian to win a men's doubles Grand Slam title, taking the Australian Open crown with partner Matthew Ebden following a commanding win over Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori.
Only the iconic Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi have won Major titles for India in men's tennis while trailblazer Sania Mirza did it in women's tennis.
For Bopanna, it was his second Grand Slam title, having won the French Open mixed doubles trophy with Canada's Gabriela Dabrowski in 2017.
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