All England Club: Indian tennis great Vijay Amritraj has backed Yuki Bhambri and N. Sriram Balaji to emerge as India's biggest hopes at Wimbledon 2026, saying both men's doubles teams have the quality to make deep runs at the All England Club.
Speaking ahead of their opening-round matches, Amritraj stressed that Bhambri's fitness and Balaji's growing partnership with Brazilian Marcelo Demoliner could prove decisive in their pursuit of a maiden Grand Slam title.
Amritraj believes Bhambri's biggest opponent is not any rival across the net, but his own fitness after battling recurring injuries over the years. “The most important thing with Yuki is whether he's fit enough. He's always had a few niggling injuries here and there, and they've almost become more of a mental issue than a physical one,” Amritraj told JioStar.
The former India Davis Cup captain said an injury-free Bhambri is capable of challenging the world's best and urged him to play without inhibitions.
“I really want him to be fit, go out there, go for broke, and play freely. He's had a great run in the doubles, and I think both the boys have a great chance of going deep in this tournament, perhaps even reaching the semi-finals, the final, and winning it,” he added.
Amritraj was equally optimistic about N. Sriram Balaji and Marcelo Demoliner, pointing to their recent consistency as a sign that they can build on their impressive run at Roland Garros, as he said, "To reach the quarter-finals on clay is even tougher because you're going to run down so many balls, and you can't always put them away. But they're playing well together, so I believe they've got a really good chance."
“I really want him to be fit, go out there, go for broke, and play freely. He's had a great run in the doubles, and I think both the boys have a great chance of going deep in this tournament, perhaps even reaching the semi-finals, the final, and winning it,” he added.
Also Read: Live Cricket Score
He added that self-belief will be the biggest factor if Balaji and Demoliner are to convert their potential into a breakthrough result at the year's third Grand Slam. “I think it's important for them to believe in themselves and go after it, especially on the big points,” he stated.