US Open: ‘I Think It’s A Bit Of A Mental Switch,’ Says Bhambri On Title Push

US Open: ‘I think it’s a bit of a mental switch,’ says Bhambri on title push (Bengaluru: Davis Cup Qualifiers Doubles Match)

US Open: Indian tennis player Yuki Bhambri will reunite with New Zealand’s Michael Venus for the men’s doubles at the US Open 2026, hoping to turn last year’s semifinal appearance into an even deeper run when the pair begin their campaign in New York.

Bhambri, who enjoyed a breakthrough run at Flushing Meadows last year, believes the memory of coming within one victory of the final has given him a different mindset heading into this year’s tournament.

“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. I’ve had good success in both singles and doubles as well. 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,” Bhambri said in an interview shared by JioStar.

The Indian has also developed a strong affinity with New York, where the energy around the US Open has become an attraction in itself. Bhambri, who hails from Delhi, said the city’s scale and the support from Indian fans make competing at Flushing Meadows particularly special.

“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. Coming from a big city like Delhi and seeing all the people around, as well as getting all the support, is great. Obviously, it’s a great crowd over here, with a lot of Indians coming out and supporting. It’s absolutely electric. Sometimes, you go out there on Ashe and watch a match just to feed off the crowd. It’s fun. There’s nothing like any other city, and hopefully, we can keep coming back and performing well,” he added.

Bhambri and Venus now return as a pairing with their sights set on another extended stay in the tournament. Their opening assignment, however, is far from straightforward, with two American players standing across the net.

“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. Coming from a big city like Delhi and seeing all the people around, as well as getting all the support, is great. Obviously, it’s a great crowd over here, with a lot of Indians coming out and supporting. It’s absolutely electric. Sometimes, you go out there on Ashe and watch a match just to feed off the crowd. It’s fun. There’s nothing like any other city, and hopefully, we can keep coming back and performing well,” he added.

“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. 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. Ideally, you would want to go all the way, but I think we’ve got to focus on each match and see how it goes,” he stated.

Article Source: IANS