In a thrilling comeback at the Australian Open 2026, India’s Yuki Bhambri and his Swedish partner Andre Goransson powered into the third round of men’s doubles. The duo overcame Mexico’s Santiago Gonzalez and Netherlands’ David Pel 4-6, 7-6(5), 6-3 in a match interrupted by extreme heat on Saturday in Melbourne.
Bhambri, India’s top-ranked men’s doubles player at No. 22 in ATP rankings, started sluggishly, losing the first set after his serve was broken early. But resilience defined their performance. When the score was tied 2-2 in the second set, play halted due to the tournament’s heat policy. Upon resumption, Bhambri and Goransson dominated, saving every service game and clinching the tie-break before breaking serve twice in the decider.
This victory marks Bhambri’s first third-round appearance in Australian Open men’s doubles since 2014, when he paired with New Zealand’s Michael Venus. Last year, he reached the US Open semifinals with Venus, his best Grand Slam showing yet. Now, Bhambri stands as the lone Indian flagbearer left in the draw.
Meanwhile, disappointment struck for fellow Indian Sriram Balaji. The Olympian and his Austrian partner Neil Oberleitner exited in the second round, crushed 7-5, 6-1 by fourth seeds Marcelo Arevalo of El Salvador and Croatia’s Mate Pavic. As late alternates, they had stunned former Grand Slam champions Pierre-Hughes Herbert and Jordan Thompson in the opener, but couldn’t sustain the momentum.
Bhambri’s run keeps Indian tennis hopes alive amid challenging conditions, showcasing grit under pressure in one of tennis’s premier events.