Mahesh Bhupathi, former doubles World No. 1 and ITA Men’s Hall of Fame member, cemented his place in history during his time on the professional tour, notably down under at the Australian Open.
In 2006, Bhuapthi won the Australian Open Mixed Doubles title alongside partner Martina Hingis. The pair entered the tournament unseeded and as wildcards. Having never played together before, the first-time pair defeated four seeded opponents along the way, only dropping a single set throughout. In the championship match, Bhupathi and Hingis defeated the sixth-seeded team of Daniel Nestor and Elena Likhovtseva in a straight forward 6-3, 6-3 victory. With the win, Bhupathi claimed his sixth mixed doubles Grand Slam title and completed a career Grand Slam in mixed doubles, joining the elite group of eight tennis players who have achieved this feat.
In 2009, Bhupathi went on to capture his second mixed doubles title at the Australian Open alongside compatriot Sania Mirza, defeating Nathalie Dechy and Andy Ram in a convincing 6-3, 6-1 win. The pair made up for the disappointment of the previous year’s 2008 final, having lost to Sun Tiantian and Nenad Zimonjic in a close 6-7(4), 4-6 contest.
Known as one of the top doubles players in the 1990s and 2000s, the former World No. 1 excelled on all the big stages, and not just at the Australian Open, winning a total of 12 Grand Slam titles (4 men’s doubles titles, 8 mixed doubles titles) and 52 career doubles titles before his retirement in 2013.
Prior to his time on the tour, Bhupathi excelled at the collegiate level where he led the Rebels to the 1995 NCAA team finals and became the first Ole Miss tennis player to win an NCAA title when he teamed with Ali Hamadeh to capture the Doubles Championship in 1995, ending the year as the No. 1 doubles team in the nation. Additionally, Bhupathi was an All-American, 1995 SEC Singles Champion and SEC Player of the Year.
In 2010, Bhupathi became the first Ole Miss player to be inducted into the ITA Men’s Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame. To view pictures of Bhupathi during his time at Ole Miss and on the tour, check out his photo gallery on the ITA SmugMug gallery below.
About the ITA Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame – The Intercollegiate Tennis Association Men’s and Women’s Halls of Fame aspire to preserve and celebrate the history and further the development of intercollegiate tennis through the collection of historic memorabilia and with inductions of notable players, coaches, and contributors.
About The ITA – The ITA is the governing body of college tennis and a coaches association, both an advocate and an authority for the sport and its members. The ITA is committed to serving college tennis and returning the leaders of tomorrow while promoting both the athletic and academic achievements of the collegiate tennis community. The ITA, founded in 1956, is comprised of more than 2,000 men’s and women’s varsity tennis teams representing more than 1,250 institutions, 3,000 college tennis coaches, 1,400 college tennis officials, while administering numerous regional and national championships, and the ITA College Tennis Rankings for 20,000 college varsity student-athletes across five levels of play. The ITA also bolsters an industry-leading awards program for players and coaches to honor excellence in academics, leadership, and sportsmanship. Keep up with all of the excitement around college tennis by visiting WeAreCollegeTennis.com and following the ITA on Facebook, Twitter (X), Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn.
