Indian tennis player Yuki Bhambri is set to begin his US Open 2026 campaign in men’s doubles alongside New Zealand’s Michael Venus, with the pair hoping to build on their run to the semifinals at last year’s tournament.
Bhambri, speaking in an interview shared by JioStar, reflected on his 2025 US Open campaign, his return to the New York Grand Slam and the support he receives from Indian fans at the tournament.
Bhambri draws confidence from last year
Bhambri said reaching the semifinals last year has given him positive memories and added motivation ahead of another US Open campaign. “I think it’s a bit of a mental switch, having made a deep run and being quite close to making the final last year. So, I have fond memories from last year, making it to the semi-finals,” Bhambri said in an interview shared by JioStar.
He described last year’s campaign as a breakthrough moment and said he is looking forward to competing at the final Grand Slam of the year. “Obviously, last year was spectacular for me and a bit of a breakthrough moment. So, I’m looking forward to going out there again. I’m excited; it’s the last Slam of the year, and I’m definitely excited to come out and perform,” he added.
‘Best place in the world to play tennis’
Bhambri also spoke about his connection with New York, describing the city as one of his favourite places and highlighting the atmosphere around the US Open.”I love New York, it’s one of my favourite cities. I love coming here. I’ve had a bunch of vacations here, but I can’t get enough of New York. So, yeah, it’s the best place in the world to play tennis,” he said.
The Indian tennis star also pointed to the support from Indian fans during the tournament. “Obviously, it’s a great crowd over here, with a lot of Indians coming out and supporting. It’s absolutely electric,” Bhambri said.
He added that even watching matches at Arthur Ashe Stadium allows him to experience the energy of the crowd.
Bhambri, Venus face tough first round
Bhambri and Venus will begin their men’s doubles campaign against American pair Ryan Seggerman and Patrik Trhac. Bhambri acknowledged that the opening match will not be easy, especially after seeing upsets take place at the tournament. “We obviously have a tough first round against two local Americans. We’ve already seen so many upsets, so you can’t really look past the first round. Every match is tough,” he said.
Bhambri wants to go deep
Despite the challenging draw, Bhambri is targeting another deep run alongside Venus. “I think we’ll probably take it match by match, but hopefully, we can go deep again. That would be great. I’m back to playing with Michael, and we’re both looking forward to it,” he said.
Bhambri and Venus will face Seggerman and Trhac in the US Open 2026 men’s doubles first round, with the match scheduled to be broadcast live on JioHotstar and Star Sports Network from 8:30 PM onwards.
