Mahesh Bhupathi said he is considering taking legal action against the All Indian Tennis Association (AITA), which has imposed a two-year ban from Davis Cup on himself and fellow countryman Rohan Bopanna for refusing to partner with Leander Paes at the Olympics.
"Rohan has played for India for 10 years and I have played now for about 18 years now. And to get slapped with something like this, I take this as rough," Bhupathi told reporters. “We are exploring it, we don't know yet but I don't think what they have done and the way they have done it is fully legal. So we are exploring if what they have done is right and obviously if not legal, we are gonna go after it."
Bhupathi added that he thought that AITA action was because of a personal vendetta.
"It's been going on with me and association and heads of the federation for years now. I am just upset and afraid that my friend and partner Rohan has got caught in the middle of this dirty game,” he said.