Yuki Bhambri quits singles, targets doubles Grand Slam success

PTI

Pune, January 4

With the intention of prolonging his tennis career, Yuki Bhambri said he would no longer play in the singles format and only focus on the doubles. The 28-year-old, once considered a top-50 prospect, is the second big Indian player after Sania Mirza to quit the singles format to prolong his career.

I did the best I knew in my singles career and I am at peace with it. Maybe things were wrong, maybe it was bad luck, I don’t know. No regrets, there is nothing more I could have done. Yuki Bhambri

Despite having a stop-start singles career due to knee injuries, Bhambri said he has no regrets. “I did the best I knew in my singles career and I am at peace with it. Maybe things were wrong, maybe it was bad luck, I don’t know. No regrets, there is nothing more I could have done,” Bhambri, who touched a career-high singles rank of 83 in 2018, said.

For someone who won the junior singles title at the Australian Open in 2009 and became the junior world No. 1, Bhambri’s career always generated interest and expectations. “It was more because of injuries and not for lack of sponsors. Sponsors were not there and I was fortunate to have done well throughout my career and could continue on the Tour but, of course, injuries were a big factor,” he said.

Bhambri said he competed in the singles qualifiers at the Tata Open Maharashtra because he wanted to earn some prize money by entering the main draw, adding that the doubles does not offer much. The decision to quit the singles format, however, was taken long back.

“I (had) decided in 2019 that doubles was the way forward for me and I wanted to do it while I was still able to play a bit of singles. Then I was injured. I came back in 2021 and the first few tournaments I played using Protected Ranking. I went to the USA and got Covid and then I got hurt again. So the plan was always there but it got delayed,” he said.

Bhambri, who won seven singles Challenger titles, has teamed up with compatriot Saketh Myneni. In 2021, they won five Challenger titles and made one semifinal on the ATP Tour. Bhambri is already inside the top-100 and is targeting to be in the top-50 bracket soon.

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