Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah honoured international tennis player Rohan Bopanna for his victory in the men’s doubles Australian Open by announcing a prize of Rs. 50 lakh.

Bopanna, accompanied by his family, met the CM along with Information Technology Minister Priyank Kharge, Kannada and Culture Minister Shivaraj S. Thangadagi and President of Karnataka Olympic Association Dr. K. Govindaraju. who is also the CM’s Political Secretary.

Siddaramaiah shared on social media platform X (formerly Twitter): “Had the pleasure of meeting and congratulating Rohan Bopanna, the men’s doubles title champion at the Australian Open tennis tournament. Delighted to announce a prize of Rs. 50 lakh.”

Bopanna’s triumph marked him as only the third Indian to clinch a men’s doubles Grand Slam title, securing the Australian Open crown alongside partner Matthew Ebden after a resounding victory over Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori in the recently held final.

In the annals of Indian tennis, only the legendary Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi have secured major titles in men’s tennis, while the trailblazing Sania Mirza achieved this feat in women’s tennis. This victory is Bopanna’s second Grand Slam title, following his triumph in French Open mixed doubles alongside Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski in 2017.