Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, May 20: As the clay court season heads into its grand finale at Roland Garros, the spotlight in Indian tennis once again rests squarely on doubles with Yuki Bhambri leading the charge. Once a promising singles player, Bhambri has steadily reinvented himself as a doubles force on the global stage.
The 2025 season began on a shaky note for Bhambri, with a first-round exit at the Australian Open alongside Albano Olivetti. A subsequent injury to Olivetti triggered a carousel of new partners, with Bhambri playing 13 tournaments with seven different teammates an unusual but necessary adaptation.
Yet, the 32-year-old from New Delhi has made his mark. Partnering with Alexei Popyrin, Bhambri clinched the ATP 500 title in Dubai and reached the quarterfinals at both Indian Wells and Miami. These performances helped him dethrone Rohan Bopanna as India’s No 1 doubles player, ending the latter’s reign that lasted since October 2019.
“Tennis rewards you for consistency,” Bhambri told TimesofIndia.com. “There have been highs and lows, but I’ve had good success over the last few months.”
The red clay, however, has not been as forgiving. Four of Bhambri’s last five tournaments on the surface ended in first-round exits, mostly while partnering American Robert Galloway. A rare bright spot came at the Bordeaux Challenger, where the duo reached the final but narrowly lost in straight tie-break sets.
Despite the setbacks, Bhambri remains composed: “Clay is a slower surface. You need more patience, better movement, and the readiness to deal with unpredictable bounces,” he explained.
Bhambri’s brief stint as India’s top-ranked doubles player, even though Bopanna has since reclaimed the position, marks a symbolic transition in Indian tennis. Bhambri has steadily climbed the doubles rankings since the pandemic and now also plays a mentoring role at Roundglass Tennis Academy alongside coach Aditya Sachdeva.
“The goal is to keep improving, to compete for bigger trophies,” Bhambri said, eyeing success at Roland Garros and Wimbledon. “Those are key targets.”
On Bopanna, he added with respect, “Rohan has been an incredible ambassador for Indian tennis. There’s always something to learn from him.”
With Roland Garros about to begin, Indian tennis fans watch with hope. Can Bhambri break his clay-court jinx and script a fresh chapter in Indian doubles success? The answer is just around the corner.