Yuki Bhambri Steps Up to Continue India's Doubles Tennis Legacy
India has celebrated remarkable success in men's doubles tennis over the past thirty years. Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi built an extraordinary legacy. Paes captured fifty-four ATP doubles titles, including eight Grand Slam victories. Bhupathi secured fifty-two ATP doubles titles with four Grand Slam wins.
Rohan Bopanna later took over the mantle. He earned twenty-six doubles titles, with one Grand Slam triumph, before retiring last year. All three players reached the world number one ranking in doubles. They established a high benchmark for Indian tennis.
The Spotlight Shifts to Yuki Bhambri
The focus now turns to Yuki Bhambri. He currently holds the highest doubles ranking among Indian players at number twenty-one. The thirty-three-year-old faces the challenging task of advancing the legacy forward.
Bhambri struggled with knee injuries earlier in his career. He shifted his full attention to doubles after ending his singles career in 2023. The Delhi native achieved a career-high singles rank of eighty-three in April 2018.
Last year, Bhambri won the Dubai ATP 500 tournament alongside Australia's Alexei Popyrin. He also reached the semifinals at the 2025 US Open with New Zealand's Michael Venus.
Coach Raven Klaasen Weighs In
South Africa's Raven Klaasen serves as coach for the Doubles Dream of India project. This initiative is run by the Pune Metropolitan District Tennis Association. Klaasen, a former doubles world number seven, shared his insights.
"India has been fortunate to have someone at the top of the doubles category for a long time," Klaasen stated. "Yuki is in a good position to carry that legacy ahead."
Klaasen emphasized Bhambri's development. "In terms of doubles, Yuki is still young and improving. He has always been a good ball-striker from the baseline. His net play has become better. His serve has improved as well."
However, Klaasen highlighted the next challenge. "The real push comes now. To reach world number one, you need sustained good results." Klaasen closely monitored Indian doubles players at the recently concluded Bengaluru Open.
Strong Start in Auckland
Bhambri made a confident start to his campaign at the ASB Classic in Auckland on Monday. The top-seeded pair of Bhambri and Swedish partner Andre Goransson cruised into the men's doubles quarterfinals. They secured a straight-sets victory over the wildcard pairing of Ajeet Rai and Jean-Julien Rojer. The score was six-three, six-two in the first-round match.
The Importance of Consistent Partnerships
Bhambri will partner with Andre Goransson at the upcoming Australian Open. Finding a consistent partner remains a significant challenge in doubles tennis. Bhambri played with ten different partners during the 2025 season alone.
He teamed up with American Robert Galloway at both Wimbledon and the French Open. He also partnered with France's Albano Olivetti at the Australian Open.
Klaasen believes having a consistent partner is crucial for success. "It is certainly better if you want to reach the very top of the game," he explained. "To play the World Tour Finals, you need a stable team structure. When both partners are in sync and share the same beliefs, results follow."
"The challenge is finding someone you trust in big moments," Klaasen added. "You need to work together toward common goals." Klaasen also suggested Bhambri would benefit most from partnering with a powerful player whose game complements his own style.
Bhambri's journey continues as he aims to uphold India's proud tradition in men's doubles tennis. The tennis community watches with anticipation to see if he can maintain the standards set by his legendary predecessors.
