Yuki Bhambri is a self-confessed film buff and watches movies when he isn’t playing. So which was the last movie he watched? We expect him to rattle off a list of Oscar-nominated movies, but a long silence and a nervous laugh later he says, “Been a while. With all the travelling, I haven't had the opportunity. But I’ve been keen on watching The Great Gatsby for sometime.”
Disappointing yes, but fortunately on court he has had a good run. Perhaps that’s why he looks more confident now than he did when we last met a couple of years back. “I won the Chennai Challenger tournament three weeks back and, in January, made it to the quarter final of the Chennai Open. Chennai has been kind to me,” he says at the launch of Adidas Originals’ new line titled Stan Smith in the city. It’s a brand he's been associated with for the last eight years and is sponsored by. “I use their shoes, socks and gear. It's not just comfortable but also something that can be worn off court as well,” he adds. Apparently the 21-year-old has quite a collection of sneakers but is yet to experiment with gold, orange and brighter shades. “I am only just a bit clued into fashion and trends,” he smiles.
Next, he's gearing up for the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 in Miami and hopes that the good run continues. Yuki has been sweating it out for five hours everyday. “I also run as part of my training and maybe that's why I don't put on weight with all the Mughlai food, naan and butter chicken I eat.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Apart from tennis, he enjoys trying his hand at other sports, like playing cricket on Sundays. “As a child, I had a poster of Sachin Tendulkar in my room,” says Yuki. But what about posters of tennis players? He’s quite a fan of Rafael Nadal, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi. “I probably didn't have pictures of them because as a tennis player I saw them around...as for Sachin, I really hope to meet him someday.”