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When Paes, Bhupathi, and Sania conquered the US Open

August 26, 2024 15:51 IST

IMAGE: Sania Mirza and Bruno Soares of Brazil celebrate winning the US Open mixed doubles title after beating Santiago Gonzalez of Mexico and Abigail Spears of the US in the final, on September 5, 2014. Photograph: Mike Segar/Reuters

New York is buzzing with excitement as tennis stars prepare to light up the courts at the 2024 US Open -- the final Grand Slam of the year.

This US Open has been the launching pad for many great careers, and Indian tennis legends Leander Paes, Sania Mirza, and Mahesh Bhupathi have left their mark by collectively winning 10 titles.

A look at the historic US Open title triumphs by India's tennis stars:

Leander Paes

IMAGE: Leander Paes and Czech Republic's Martin Damm pose with the trophy after winning the US Open men's doubles title, in New York, on September 9, 2006. Photograph: Shaun Best/Reuters

One of the tennis greats Leander Paes has tasted success at the Arthur Ashe stadium on five different occasions.

Paes, a 18-time Grand Slam champion, won his first US Open men's doubles title in 2006 with Czech Martin Damm, defeating Bjorkman and Mirnyi 6-7, 6-4, 6-3.

IMAGE: Leander Paes and Cara Black of Zimbabwe after winning the US Open mixed doubles title, on September 4, 2008. Photograph: Mike Segar/Reuters

Later, he clinched the mixed doubles title in 2008 with Zimbabwe’s Cara Black, overcoming Huber and Murray 7-6 (8-6), 6-4.

Paes and partner Lukas Dlouhy won the men’s doubles the next year, beating fellow Indian and former partner Bhupathi and Knowles 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Sania Mirza

IMAGE: Sania Mirza and partner Martina Hingis celebrate after winning the 2015 US Open mixed doubles title. Photograph: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters

The woman who inspired millions of Indians to take up tennis won her first US Open title in 2014 in the mixed doubles category. She and Brazilian partner Bruno Soares outclassed Abigail Spears and Santiago Gonzalez 6-1, 2-6, (11-9) in straight sets in the final.

This was the third Grand Slam of her illustrious career.

Sania did not stop there. She won the US open again, triumphing in the women's doubles with Swiss great Martina Hingis as they defeated Casey Dellacqua and Yaroslava Shvedova 6-3, 6-3 in the title clash.

Mahesh Bhupathi

IMAGE: Mahesh Bhupathi and Max Mirnyi of Belarus hold the trophy after winning the US Open men's doubles title, on September 6, 2002. Photograph: Kevin Lamarque/Reuters

Bhupathi became India’s first US Open winner in 1999, paving the way for fellow Indians to follow suit and etch India’s name in the history of the game.

Pairing up with Japan’s Ai Sugiyama, the duo won 6-4, 6-4 in the final against the American duo of Kimberly Po and Donald Johnson.

Bhupathi continued his good run in the US Open in the doubles and mixed doubles.

Defying the odds, he went on to defeat some of the biggest names in men’s doubles history, alongside his Belarusian partner Max Mirnyi, and lifted the trophy once again in 2002.

In 2005, he paired up with Slovak star Daniela Hantuchova in the mixed double category and won his second mix double title at the US Open.