Indian tennis star Yuki Bhambri opened up on the pride of representing his country at the US Open, his dreams of winning a Grand Slam, and his...
Indian tennis star Yuki Bhambri opened up on the pride of representing his country at the US Open, his dreams of winning a Grand Slam, and his deep-rooted love for cricket, Bollywood, and Indian cuisine.
Yuki Bhambri and his partner Michael Venus of New Zealand advanced to the US Open 2025 tennis men's doubles pre-quarterfinals in New York on Monday. In an hour and twenty-five minutes at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Centre, Bhambri and Venus, seeded fourteenth, upset the unseeded Gonzalo Escobar of Colombia and Miguel Ángel Reyes-Varela of Mexico 6-1, 7-5.
Bhambri, who advanced to the next round in doubles, said stepping onto the Grand Slam stage always carries immense weight. "I've had the privilege of sharing this stage with many fellow Indians, and our nation has a rich tennis legacy with icons like Amritraj (Vijay Amritraj), Krishnan (Ramesh Krishnan), Leander (Leander Paes), Mahesh (Mahesh Bhupathi), and Rohan (Rohan Bopanna) as well. Ultimately, the biggest pressure often comes from within, as I always strive to perform at my very best whenever I step on court. It's an honour to represent India, and I truly cherish every moment, especially here, at the US Open. I'm pleased to have advanced to the next round, and I'm eager to keep pushing and see how far we can go," he said.
On competing at the sport's highest level, Bhambri added: "I don't know if you fully realise the enormity, but you want to try and do the best you can. We're playing on the biggest stage of them all. Not everybody gets an opportunity to be playing at one of the Grand Slams. And I know I'm quite fortunate to be able to do this. I've done it in singles, and now I'm playing doubles here. I'm just happy to be out there playing tennis, especially with a friend of mine. It makes it a lot more fun being on the same side, playing with someone you know well. I'm happy to go out there and do my job. It makes it a lot more exciting to represent your country as well." Venus and Bhambri, the top-ranked men's doubles tennis player in India at world No. 32, broke their opponents twice to take a 3-0 lead and then win the first set 6-1. In the second set, Escobar and Reyes-Varela put up a stronger fight, but Bhambri and Venus held their own, winning 7-5 to secure their place in the round of 16.
Like many players, Bhambri dreams of lifting a major trophy. They will next face the fourth-seeded German pair of Tim Puetz and Kevin Krawietz.