Yuki Bhambri’s dream of earning his first Grand Slam title ended in heartbreak on Thursday. Playing with his partner Michael Venus, the Indian lost a close fight in the US Open men’s doubles semi-final. They were beaten by Britain’s Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski 7-6 (2), 6-7 (5), 4-6 in a tough match that lasted nearly three hours at the Louis Armstrong Arena in New York.
Yuki’s Grand Slam Dream
Yuki was chasing history. He was hoping to be the first Indian since Sania Mirza and Leander Paes in 2015 to lift a US Open title, and the first since Rohan Bopanna in 2023 to make the final. His pairing with Michael Venus had been on a roll, highlighted by a stunning quarter final win over Rajeev Ram and Nikola Mektic. That victory carried Yuki into his very first Grand Slam semi-final.
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Yuki and Michael had won the first set and even went for a break up in the second. They had two chances to take a double break but they couldn’t. That missed opportunity proved costly, as Joe and Neal fought back and pushed the second set to a tie-break.
From there, the British pair showed greater composure and experience, but then Yuki’s mistakes and Michael’s less confident moves did not work in their favour. Although the Indo-Kiwi duo had better stats, they still made mistakes in key moments. Joe and Neal took advantage of this opportunity and sealed their victory.
A Proud Run for Indian Tennis
Despite the loss, Yuki can take pride in his performance at the US Open. At 33, he definitely looks ready to continue India’s legacy in men’s doubles, a role long held by veteran Rohan Bopanna. With Bopanna exiting early this year, Yuki carried India’s hopes deep into the tournament, which is a sign of a promising new chapter in his career.