Yuki Bhambri (IND, 48) returns to the ATP Tour this week at the ATP 250 Almaty Open in Kazakhstan, partnering the very player who knocked him out of the 2026 US Open, Ryan Seggerman (USA, 62). Entering the indoor hard-court draw as the 4th seeds, the 34-year-old Indian is looking to arrest a 30-spot ranking slide from his career-high world No. 18 after injury and expiring Grand Slam points pushed him down to No. 48.
From US Open rivals to 4th seeds at the Almaty Arena
Only 6 weeks ago in New York, Seggerman and fellow American Patrik Trhac ended Bhambri and Michael Venus’s 2026 US Open campaign in the 1st round with a tight 7-6(4), 7-6(3) win on September 5. Now, Bhambri and the 27-year-old Seggerman join forces for the 1st time on the indoor hard courts at the Almaty Arena.
Seeded 4th in the 16-team draw, Bhambri and Seggerman open their campaign against Sander Gille (BEL, 57) and Sem Verbeek (NED, 56), with their Round of 16 clash scheduled for Wednesday, October 21. A 1st-round victory would pit the Indo-American pair against either Luciano Darderi (ITA, 148) and Tomas Martin Etcheverry (ARG, 109) or the Australian duo of Jason Kubler (AUS, 70) and John Peers (AUS, 69) in the quarterfinals.
India also has a 2nd seeded contender in the Almaty doubles draw, with N. Sriram Balaji (IND, 51) and Evan King (USA, 52) seeded 3rd in the top half of the bracket behind top seeds Lucas Miedler (AUT, 26) and Neil Oberleitner (AUT, 39) and 2nd seeds Jakob Schnaitter (GER, 33) and Mark Wallner (GER, 33).
Why Yuki Bhambri dropped 30 spots from world No. 18 to No. 48
Bhambri climbed to his career-high doubles ranking of No. 18 on February 9, 2026, powered by 3 big point hauls in his 52-week tally: his 2025 ATP 500 Dubai title alongside Alexei Popyrin (500 points), his historic 2025 US Open semifinal run with Michael Venus (720 points), and his 3rd-round appearance at the 2026 Australian Open with Andre Goransson. He stayed inside the top 30 through May after reaching the ATP 500 Munich semifinals and finishing runner-up at the ATP 250 Geneva Open with Venus.
The steep drop to No. 48 (1,770 points) arrived in September when all 720 points from his 2025 US Open semifinal expired after his 1st-round exit at Flushing Meadows. Bhambri went into that US Open match carrying a right thigh strain picked up in Winston-Salem, and the injury forced him to pull out of India’s Davis Cup World Group I tie against South Korea in Seoul on September 18–19 as well as the ATP hard-court swing in China. After making a brief return for India at the Asian Games in Japan at the end of September, Almaty marks his 1st ATP Tour main-draw appearance since New York.
Career-high rank of No. 18
Peaked inside the world top 20 after his 2025 Dubai 500 title, 2025 US Open semifinal, and 2026 Australian Open 3rd round.
720 US Open points dropped
Lost his 2025 US Open semifinal points after falling 7-6(4), 7-6(3) to Seggerman and Trhac while nursing a right thigh strain.
Ranked No. 48 on 1,770 points
Sits 30 places below his career peak after missing the Davis Cup tie in Seoul and the China ATP swing during rehab.
250 points & $56,880 for the title
Joins world No. 62 Ryan Seggerman as the 4th seeds in Kazakhstan to start his late-season indoor push.
Seeded pairs at the 2026 ATP 250 Almaty Open
| Seed | Doubles Team | Individual Ranks | Combined Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| [1] | Lucas Miedler / Neil Oberleitner | AUT · 26 / AUT · 39 | 4,870 pts |
| [2] | Jakob Schnaitter / Mark Wallner | GER · 33 / GER · 33 | 4,640 pts |
| [3] | N. Sriram Balaji / Evan King | IND · 51 / USA · 52 | 3,236 pts |
| [4] | Yuki Bhambri / Ryan Seggerman | IND · 48 / USA · 62 | 3,130 pts |
Round of 16 schedule for Yuki Bhambri and Ryan Seggerman
| Round | Match | Court | Scheduled Start Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|---|
| R16 | [4] Yuki Bhambri IND · 48 / Ryan Seggerman USA · 62 vs. Sander Gille BEL · 57 / Sem Verbeek NED · 56 | Indoor Hard | Wednesday, Oct 21 (Time TBA) |