India’s Yuki Bhambri scripted history after making his first-ever Grand Slam semifinal entry following a hard-fought victory in the men's doubles quarter-finals at the US Open 2025.
Yuki Bhambri makes maiden US Open semifinal
Bhambri and his doubles partner Michael Venus of New Zealand, who are the 14th seeds, faced off against a formidable 11th-seeded duo, Nikola Mektic of Croatia and the USA’s Rajeev Ram. The match was a grueling two hours and 39 minutes, with the Indo-New Zealand pair eventually triumphing with a score of 6-3, 6(6)-7(8), 6-3 in New York. Both Mektić and Ram are seasoned players, having previously won Grand Slam titles with different partners. Mektić is also a men’s doubles champion from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, while Ram has won two Olympic silver medals.
Bhambri, who is India's top-ranked men’s doubles player, and his partner Venus started strong, breaking their opponents' serve in the fourth game of the first set and holding on to their lead to win the opener. The second set proved to be more challenging. The Indo-New Zealand duo lost their serve in the fourth game but managed to break back later, forcing a tie-break. However, they couldn't capitalize on a match point, which allowed Mektic and Ram to win the second set and push the match into a decisive third set.
The final set of the match was a tense affair. Bhambri and Venus earned a crucial break point in the ninth game, giving them a chance to close out the match. They faced a tough challenge, however, as their opponents fought back, forcing them to save seven break points before they could finally convert their own match point and secure their spot in the semi-finals.
This victory is a monumental one for Bhambri, marking not only his first appearance in a US Open semi-final but also the deepest run of his entire Grand Slam career. The Indo-New Zealand duo will face a tough challenge in the semi-finals on Thursday against the sixth-seeded British team of Neal Skupski and Joe Salisbury. Salisbury is a three-time US Open men's doubles champion (2021-2023), while Skupski was a finalist at the tournament in 2022.
Yuki Bhambri is now the last Indian player remaining in the US Open. The runs of other Indian players ended earlier in the tournament, with Anirudh Chandrasekar and Vijay Sundar Prashanth losing to Fernando Romboli and John-Patrick Smith. Veterans Rohan Bopanna and his partner Romain Arneodo, along with Arjun Kadhe and his partner Diego Hidalgo, were both knocked out in the first round.