Mahesh Bhupathi was on a high when he won the mixed doubles title with Sania Mirza at the French Open this year. Then came the whole controversy of team selection for the Olympics. Bhupathi, however, said the ugly episode is now behind him and in fact, shared a light moment with reporters when he joked on what he would do if he and Bopanna achieve the impossible in London.
“We will jump into the Thames,” Bhupathi was quoted as saying in DNA.
Bhupathi admitted that he and partner Rohan Bopanna are not at the level of Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal. AFP
With the tennis event being held at Wimbledon, Bhupathi said there’s no extra training needed. “The Olympics is always super special, more so for us tennis players this year, since it will be held at Wimbledon. The preparation has been on for the last seven to eight months. Lucky for us, the grass court season has just finished. The Olympics is on grass, so our specific training for the surface will continue right till the end of the Olympics.”
Bhupathi also admitted that he and partner Rohan Bopanna are not at the level of Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal, who can win matches single-handedly: ”There is no easy match. Olympic doubles is the hardest in the world. You need some kind of preparation, because we are not as talented as Roger or Rafa to pick up the pieces and win a medal.”
Bhupathi also spoke about the issue surrounding Sania Mirza’s claim that the tennis row had created bad blood among the players: ”It’s been a long time since the letter has been issued. We did play the mixed doubles in Wimbledon, so yes, we have spoken.”
