US Open 2025: Yuki Bhambri storms into maiden Grand Slam semifinal

India's Yuki Bhambri entered his first-ever Grand Slam semifinal at 2025 US Open with partner Michael Venus, stunning 11th seeds Nikola Mektic and Rajeev Ram in straight sets.

India’s Yuki Bhambri scripted history at Flushing Meadows on Thursday (according to Indian Standard Time), reaching his first-ever Grand Slam semi-final in men’s doubles. Partnering New Zealand’s Michael Venus, the Indo-Kiwi pair stunned the 11th-seeded duo of Nikola Mektic and American veteran Rajeev Ram 6-3, 7-6, 6-3 in a high-octane quarterfinal clash on Court 17.

 

The straight-sets win marked Bhambri’s breakthrough moment at the US Open, elevating him into the elite company of Indians to feature in the last four of a Grand Slam. At world No. 32 in doubles, he is now set for the biggest test of his career when he and Venus face Britain’s Neal Skupski and Joe Salisbury on Friday (at 1:30 AM IST).

 

Why this matters

 

Bhambri, once hailed as India’s brightest singles prospect, had long struggled with injuries and setbacks. But his steady transition to doubles is paying off at the grandest stage of all. For Indian tennis, this moment carries weight—coming after Rohan Bopanna’s early exit and the first-round losses of Arjun Kadhe, Anirudh Chandrasekar, and Vijay Sundar Prashanth. Bhambri’s success keeps India’s flag flying in New York. 

 

For Venus, a seasoned campaigner with a wealth of doubles experience, the partnership has been about blending Bhambri’s aggressive baseline play with his own net craft. Their synergy was evident in the way they handled pressure points, particularly in the second set tiebreak, before closing out the match with clinical precision.

 

The road to the semis

 

The Indo-Kiwi duo’s campaign began with a commanding 6-1, 7-5 win over Gonzalo Escobar of Colombia and Mexico’s Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela. They then faced the seasoned Ram-Mektic pairing—Ram, notably, had celebrated his 500th career doubles win earlier in the tournament. Yet Bhambri and Venus refused to be overawed, producing one of the shocks of the championship.

 

Bhambri’s semi-final appearance also reflects his growth from last year, when he partnered France’s Albano Olivetti and exited in the pre-quarterfinals. This time, with momentum and confidence, he has gone several steps further.

 

Numbers that tell the story

 

• 6-3, 7-6, 6-3: Scoreline of Bhambri-Venus’ upset win over Mektic-Ram.
• 32: Bhambri’s doubles world ranking—his highest to date.
• 500: Career doubles wins for Ram, who was denied a fairytale continuation at the US Open.
• First: Bhambri’s appearance in a Grand Slam semi-final, a career-defining feat.

YUKI BHAMBRI – US OPEN 2025 MEN’S DOUBLES FACT SHEET
Item	Details
Player & Partner	Yuki Bhambri (India) & Michael Venus (New Zealand)
Seeding	14th seed in men's doubles draw ATP Tour
Current Grand Slam Stage	Semifinal — first-ever Grand Slam semifinal for Bhambri
Quarterfinal Match	Defeated Nikola Mektić / Rajeev Ram (11th seeds) with a 6–3, 6–7^(6–8), 6–3 scoreline on Court 17
Pre-Quarter Quarterfinal Round Match	Beat Gonzalo Escobar / Miguel Angel Reyes-Varela 6–1, 7–5 in 1h 25m
First Round Result	Overcame Marcos Giron / Learner Tien 6–0, 6–3 in just over one hour
Match Time Context (semifinal match time)	Yuki Bhambri men’s doubles match will start after 1:30 AM IST on Friday
Semifinal Opponents	To face Joe Salisbury & Neal Skupski (6th seeds) in the semifinal
How to Watch (Global)	- USA: ESPN, ESPN2, ABC; full coverage also via ESPN+
How to Watch (India)	Rights held by JioStar / Star Sports; streaming available on JioHotstar
Other Regions (Examples)	- UK & Ireland: Sky Sports (live / via Now app)  - Australia: Free coverage on 9Now   - Canada: TSN & RDS, plus TSN Direct streaming US Open Tennis Infotechradar.com
Player Career Highlights	- Bhambri: Career-high doubles ranking No. 26 (Mar 2025), currently around No. 35; first Grand Slam SF at US Open 2025. Venus: Career-high doubles No. 6 (2022); previous Grand Slam doubles champion and consistent doubles stalwart

    The big picture

 

Bhambri’s march to the semi-finals is more than just personal redemption; it is a statement about Indian tennis in a post-Bopanna era. With veterans nearing retirement, the torchbearer role is shifting, and Bhambri has shown he is ready to shoulder that responsibility.

 

As he steps onto court against Skupski and Salisbury, Bhambri will carry the weight of a billion hopes, the dream of seeing an Indian in a Grand Slam final again. Regardless of the result, his run at the US Open 2025 has already given Indian tennis its latest reason to believe.