Mumbai, Sept. 25 -- Yuki Bhambri's accessories have increased over the years. When on a tennis court, he wears a strap on his elbow, both ankles have braces, and his right knee is taped up. "They're as important as my tennis racquets," he said, over the phone. They are constant reminders of the injury-plagued journey he has had. But for a player with the game he has - an aggressive, clean-hitter with undeniable court craft - he still has a place in the bigger tournaments in tennis. Once a formidable singles player, the injuries pushed him into the doubles stream. But there too he has carved a solid place for himself. And at the US Open that ended earlier this month, Bhambri reached the semi-final of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career. "This was a big step forward for me in making the semi-final of a Slam," said the 33-year-old from New Delhi, who partnered New Zealand's Michael Venus in New York. "I don't think a player is really satisfied unless they win the whole thing. I'm happy that things went well. But I do want to keep putting myself in those positions and better the performances, and be more consistent with them." Coincidentally, Bhambri's best result, so far, at a Slam comes with a player he had partnered to reach the third round of the Australian Open in 2014 - his best result at the majors before this season. The Indian focused mainly on singles back then while Venus had been playing doubles frequently. Their respective careers took them on different paths. Bhambri explained that they remained friends throughout the period, but it was only in July that their rankings got close enough for them to pair up once again. Playing together after 11 years though, both were different players and took time to adjust. "If you go back to our first match in Washington DC, we had some basic calls. Balls going right through the middle, not realizing whose ball it is," Bhambri said. "These things make a difference. Understanding what certain things are. What each other's preferences are. "Even just the timing of someone's shot. He's someone who hits the ball really hard, so it's probably going to come back even faster if (the opponent) is volleying." Paired up with Venus - the 2017 French Open doubles champion (with Ryan Harrison) - the Indo-Kiwi duo won just one of their first four matches together. But then, those "hours and hours on court" started to pay off. They reached the semi-final at the ATP 250 event in Winston-Salem, losing an agonisingly close match 11-13 in the match tiebreak.Then as the 14th seeds at the US Open, they beat fourth seeds Tim Putz and Kevin Krawietz, and then 11th seeds Nikola Mektic and three-time winner Rajeev Ram en route to the semi-final. The journey at Flushing Meadows ended in three tight-sets, but it has taken Bhambri, a former India No.1 in singles but the top player from the country in doubles, to a new career high of 22 in the world. This from a player who was on the verge of quitting in 2021. Winner of the junior singles Australian Open title in 2009, much was expected from Bhambri. And he did deliver, breaking into the top 100 in 2015. Then came the tennis elbow issue that forced him away from the tour. But he returned stronger in 2017 and broke back into the top 100 once again, peaking at No.83 in 2018. Then came the torn tendon in his knee that kept him out for two years. He returned briefly, only for it to flare up again. "I couldn't really step on court, I was just in a lot of pain," he recalled. "Around Sept 2021, I thought I'm going to play a few tournaments, maybe the Slams and then call it a day. For some reason, the knee held up for me to play doubles. I didn't expect it, I just thought I'd play the 2022 Australian Open and be done." He's stuck on and is working his way through the doubles circuit. And he's taking advantage of the online course in kinesiology taping techniques he took during lockdown. "I've self-diagnosed and taped myself when I've felt a few niggles, or the ankles or shoulders have felt funny," he said. "I keep telling everybody I'm the best rehab specialist without a medical degree." In a journey filled with ups and downs, he's somehow managed to always come back stronger. And he's continuing to look for more ways to improve. Particularly on the serve. He had earlier changed the footwork, but is now tinkering with the service action. The three accessories are keeping his body intact. Now, he can focus on the game....