US Open: Bhambri aims to win a Grand Slam title for India

NEW YORK: Indian tennis veteran Yuki Bhambri expressed his dream to secure a Grand Slam title for his country, as he moved into the quarterfinals of the ongoing US Open tournament.

Bhambri stormed to his maiden Grand Slam quarter-finals at the US Open in the Men’s doubles alongside his partner from New Zealand, Michael Venus. Yuki and Venus defeated the No. 4 seeds Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz in one hour and 23 minutes by a 6-4, 6-4 score line to move into the final eight. They are set to take on the 11th seeds, Croatia’s Nikola Mektic and American veteran Rajeev Ram, for the semifinal spot.

Speaking to media, Bhambri spoke on representing the tricolour at the US Open, expressing his privilege of sharing this stage with many other fellow Indians.

“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 is an honour to represent India, and I truly cherish every moment, especially here, at the US Open. I am pleased to have advanced to the next round, and I am eager to keep pushing and see how far we can go,” he added.

Bhambri said that one cannot truly realise the enormity of a grand slam and not many get a privilege to represent the nation at a major. The 33-year-old is yet to win a Grand Slam in his career.

“I know I am quite fortunate to be able to do this. I have done it in singles, and now I am playing doubles here. I am 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 am happy to go out there and do my job. It makes it a lot more exciting to represent your country as well,” he added.

Speaking on winning a Grand Slam title, Bhambri said, “It is every person’s dream when they hold a tennis racket. When you go out there, that is what you want to do. This is what you have seen on TV. My idols growing up were Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. You see them do it. That is one of the reasons why I picked up a tennis racket, watching them win the US Open, watching them win Wimbledon. When you go out there, winning a Grand Slam is obviously a dream to accomplish. That is what all of us out there are trying to do. We are putting our best foot forward and hope one day we can achieve that.” (ANI)