New Delhi, Aug 1 (IANS): Indian tennis player Rohan Bopanna, who recently announced his retirement in playing for the national team following a first-round exit in the men’s doubles event at the 2024 Paris Olympics, has revealed about the times he’s went to many companies for sponsorship, but was declined.

“India is not a sporting country to be honest, we go to watch the celebrity of the sport. I have gone to numerous companies asking for sponsorships and they have declined because tennis is not shown in the country.”

“Last year, at the US Open, my team was calling the media broadcasters to say please show my match and they say no it is only one Indian and we cannot show,” revealed Bopanna on “Be A Man, Yaar!” season 2 show, by Yuvaa.

Bopanna, who has been honoured with Padma Shri, will continue to play at the ATP Circuit. At the start of this year, Bopanna became the oldest man to win a Grand Slam title in the open era of tennis following the Australian Open men’s doubles triumph with his partner Matthew Ebden. That title also propelled Bopanna to become the oldest top-ranked man in ATP rankings for men’s doubles too.

He also addressed the issue of online criticism and trolling that often sportspersons face following defeats. “We get abuses every day, social media is great but you get those abuses also. It’s constant. Everybody feels they are also a part of it, so it’s hard you know every day you need to wake up and say be strong.”

Bopanna, a recipient of Arjuna Award and Padma Shri, signed off by crediting his psychologist wife Supriya Annaiah Bopanna for being an unwavering support figure while he’s traveling to play tennis. “My wife never advised me on my sport but always listened and improved my communication with my Tennis partners.”