Yuki Bhambri Clinches Maiden ATP 500 Doubles Title at Dubai Tennis Championships

Dubai, March 2: India's Yuki Bhambri secured his first-ever ATP 500 men's doubles title alongside Australian partner Alexei Popyrin with a dramatic comeback victory at the Dubai Tennis Championships. The Indo-Australian pair edged past world No. 14 Harri Heliovaara (Finland) and Henry Patten (Great Britain) in a nail-biting final on Saturday.

Despite losing the first set, Bhambri and Popyrin staged an incredible fightback, saving four match points in the second set before sealing a 3-6, 7-6, 10-8 win in a 51-minute contest.

Career Milestone for Bhambri​

With this remarkable victory, Bhambri is set to achieve a career-high ATP doubles ranking of No. 40 when the latest PIF ATP Rankings are updated on Monday.

A Stunning Title Run​

The duo’s title-winning journey was filled with impressive victories over higher-ranked opponents:

• Round 1: Defeated World No. 1 doubles pair Marcelo Arevalo (El Salvador) and Mate Pavic (Croatia) 4-6, 7-6(1), 10-3.
• Quarterfinals: Won a thrilling battle against Britain's Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool 5-7, 7-6(5), 10-5.
• Semifinals: Took down the experienced duo of Jamie Murray (Great Britain) and John Peers (Australia) 5-4, 4-6, 10-7.

Bhambri's Reaction​

Following the victory, Bhambri expressed his delight at achieving this milestone.

"It was just about having fun on the court. We went match by match. We were so close to losing in the first round, so it's unbelievable to be in the finals and to win it — I don't think I ever dreamt of that," Bhambri told ATP Tour.

He also praised his partner, Alexei Popyrin, saying, "Alexei is an incredible player. We all know how good he is in singles, but I think he has a great doubles career ahead of him as well."

Tsitsipas Wins Men's Singles Title​

In the singles event, Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas emerged victorious, defeating Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 6-3 in the final to claim the men’s singles title.

Bhambri’s victory marks a significant achievement in his doubles career, highlighting his growing presence on the ATP Tour. With his new ranking milestone, he will be looking to build on this momentum in upcoming tournaments.