Mahesh Shrinivas Bhupathi (born 7 June 1974) is an Indian former doubles world No. 1 tennis player. In 1997, he became the first Indian to win a major tournament (with Rika Hiraki). With his win at the 2006 Australian Open mixed doubles, he joined the elite group of eight tennis players who have achieved a career Grand Slam in mixed doubles. He is also the founder of International Premier Tennis League. In December 2016, Bhupathi was appointed as India's next non-playing Davis Cup captain and took over the reins from Anand Amritraj in February 2017.
Career 1995–2006 Mahesh Bhupathi is considered one of the top doubles players of the 1990s and 2000s. In 1999, Bhupathi won three doubles titles with Leander Paes, including the French Open and Wimbledon. He and Paes became the first doubles team to reach the finals of all four Grand Slams, the first time such a feat has been achieved in the open era and the first time since 1952. On 26 April of that year, they became the world no. 1 doubles team. Bhupathi also won the US Open mixed doubles with Ai Sugiyama of Japan.
In 2006, Bhupathi teamed with Martina Hingis in the Australian Open mixed doubles competition. Entering the tournament unseeded and as wildcards,Source the first-time pair defeated four seeded opponents along the way, while only dropping a single set throughout. Bhupathi and Hingis defeated the sixth-seeded team of Daniel Nestor and Elena Likhovtseva in straight sets, 6–3, 6–3, to capture the championship. It was the sixth mixed doubles Grand Slam for Bhupathi, and the first one for Hingis. By winning the Australian Open, Bhupathi completed a career Grand Slam in mixed doubles.
2007–2008 In 2007, Bhupathi and Radek Štěpánek reached the 2007 Australian Open men's doubles event's quarterfinals. Bhupathi teamed with Štěpánek at the 2007 French Open to make the doubles semifinals, defeating two-year defending champions Jonas Björkman and Max Mirnyi in the quarterfinals. The team lost to the eventual champions Mark Knowles and Daniel Nestor. After Wimbledon, Bhupathi teamed with Pavel Vízner to win the 2007 Canada Masters, defeating the top-ranked doubles team Bob and Mike Bryan en route. After this victory, he won a tournament in New Haven with Nenad Zimonjić. At the 2007 US Open, he and Zimonjić paired in doubles. After the US Open, the team that beat Bhupathi and Štěpánek in the French Open semifinals, Knowles and Nestor, split up. Bhupathi became Knowles' partner,Team profile while Zimonjić became Nestor's, but back surgery meant he was out until the end of the year.
2009–2012 In 2009, Bhupathi and compatriot Sania Mirza won the mixed doubles title at the Australian Open, beating Nathalie Dechy and Andy Ram, 6–3, 6–1, in the final. The Indian pair thus made up for the disappointment of the previous year's final when they were beaten by Sun Tiantian and Nenad Zimonjić. With this win, Bhupathi's count in mixed doubles Grand Slam titles increased to seven.
Bhupathi broke up his partnership with Knowles and began playing once again with Max Mirnyi, with whom he played to win the 2002 US Open. In 2011, Bhupathi reunited with former playing partner Leander Paes for the 2011 Australian Open. The team reached the final, but lost 3–6, 4–6 to the Bryan brothers. On 7 June 2012, Bhupathi and Sania Mirza won the French Open mixed doubles. On 4 November 2012, Bhupathi and partner Rohan Bopanna won the Paris Masters cup. In spite of suffering a setback with their loss against Jonathan Marray and Frederik Nielsen in the ATP Tour Finals opener, the Indian duo reached the final round of the ATP Tour Finals, but suffered a defeat at the hands of Marcel Granollers and Marc López.
2013 Bhupathi and Bopanna played with different partners for the first three months of 2013, Bhupathi winning the tournament in Dubai in March with Michaël Llodra, but rejoined starting with the Monte-Carlo Masters.
Playing style Mahesh Bhupathi is known for his strong serve. According to Rafael Nadal, his strong backhand makes him the best for an Ad Court player. Roger Federer acclaims him as one of the best doubles players of all time. He often discusses strategies between the serves with his partner during the match and also communicates using finger-at-the-back signals.
Year-end finals Bhupathi appeared with Paes in six season finales. In 2011, they appeared, for the first time since 2002, after securing qualification in mid-October. Bhupathi played at the year-end championships with Paes from 1997 to 2000 and in 2002, reaching three finals. In 1997, they lost the final to Rick Leach and Jonathan Stark. They lost the 1999 final to Sébastien Lareau and Alex O’Brien. In 2000, they lost the final to Donald Johnson and Pieter Norval. Bhupathi also qualified with Max Mirnyi in 2003, 2004, and 2010, when they finished runners-up to Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjić. He appeared at the finals with Mark Knowles in 2008 and 2009. In 2012, he and Rohan Bopanna made it to the final, where they lost to Marcel Granollers and Marc López.
Significant finals Doubles: 10 (4 titles, 6 runner-ups) ResultYearChampionshipSurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreLoss1999Australian OpenHard Leander Paes Jonas Björkman Pat Rafter3–6, 6–4, 4–6, 7–6(12–10), 4–6Win1999French OpenClay Leander Paes Goran Ivanišević Jeff Tarango6–2, 7–5Win1999WimbledonGrass Leander Paes Paul Haarhuis Jared Palmer6–7(10–12), 6–3, 6–4, 7–6(7–4)Loss1999US OpenHard Leander Paes Alex O'Brien Sébastien Lareau6–7(7–9), 4–6Win2001French Open (2)Clay Leander Paes Petr Pála Pavel Vízner7–6(7–5), 6–3Win2002US OpenHard Max Mirnyi Jiří Novák Radek Štěpánek6–3, 3–6, 6–4Loss2003WimbledonGrass Max Mirnyi Jonas Björkman Todd Woodbridge6–3, 3–6, 6–7(4–7), 3–6Loss2009Australian OpenHard Mark Knowles Bob Bryan Mike Bryan6–2, 5–7, 0–6Loss2009US OpenHard Mark Knowles Lukáš Dlouhý Leander Paes6–3, 3–6, 2–6Loss2011Australian OpenHard Leander Paes Bob Bryan Mike Bryan3–6, 4–6
Mixed doubles: 12 (8 titles, 4 runner-ups) By winning the 2006 Australian Open title, Bhupathi completed the mixed doubles Career Grand Slam. He became the eighth male player in history to achieve this.
ResultYearChampionshipSurfacePartnerOpponentsScoreWin1997French OpenClay Rika Hiraki Lisa Raymond Patrick Galbraith6–4, 6–1Loss1998WimbledonGrass Mirjana Lučić Serena Williams Max Mirnyi4–6, 4–6Win1999US OpenHard Ai Sugiyama Kimberly Po Donald Johnson6–4, 6–4Win2002WimbledonGrass Elena Likhovtseva Daniela Hantuchová Kevin Ullyett6–2, 1–6, 6–1Loss2003French OpenClay Elena Likhovtseva Lisa Raymond Mike Bryan3–6, 4–6Win2005Wimbledon (2)Grass Mary Pierce Tatiana Perebiynis Paul Hanley6–4, 6–2Win2005US Open (2)Hard Daniela Hantuchová Katarina Srebotnik Nenad Zimonjić6–4, 6–2Win2006Australian OpenHard Martina Hingis Elena Likhovtseva Daniel Nestor6–3, 6–3Loss2008Australian OpenHard Sania Mirza Sun Tiantian Nenad Zimonjić6–7(4–7), 4–6Win2009Australian Open (2)Hard Sania Mirza Nathalie Dechy Andy Ram6–3, 6–1Loss2011WimbledonGrass Elena Vesnina Iveta Benešová Jürgen Melzer3–6, 2–6Win2012French Open (2)Clay Sania Mirza Klaudia Jans-Ignacik Santiago González7–6(7–3), 6–1
Olympic medal matches
Doubles: 1 (1 fourth place) Result Year Championship SurfacePartnerOpponentsScore4th place 2004Summer Olympics, AthensHard Leander Paes Mario Ančić Ivan Ljubičić6–7(5–7), 6–4, 14–16
ATP career finals Doubles: 96 (52–44) LegendGrand Slam (4–6)ATP World Tour Finals (0–5)ATP World Tour Masters 1000 (16–14)ATP World Tour 500 Series (8–7)ATP World Tour 250 Series (24–12)Titles by surfaceHard (32–26)Clay (13–4)Grass (2–6)Carpet (5–7)