Neal Skupski and Joe Salisbury Chase Historic US Open Doubles Glory
It’s not every day that British tennis fans get to witness history in the making, but this year’s US Open has delivered exactly that. Neal Skupski and Joe Salisbury have booked their place in the men’s doubles final, and with it, they carry the weight of more than a century of history on their shoulders. If they triumph, they will become the first all-British pair since 1903 to lift the US Open men’s doubles title — a milestone that has been out of reach for generations.
Their road to the final wasn’t straightforward. In their semifinal match, Salisbury and Skupski found themselves in real trouble, dropping the first set in a tense tie-break and even falling a break behind in the second. Many would have written them off at that point. But the pair refused to fold. Digging deep, they clawed their way back into the contest, edging the second set on a tie-break and then seizing momentum in the decider. The turning point came with an early break in the third set, which set the tone for the rest of the match. Skupski eventually sealed victory by serving it out on Louis Armstrong Stadium, sending the British duo into the championship round.
Also Read:Their opponents will be a formidable pairing: Spain’s Marcel Granollers and Argentina’s Horacio Zeballos. This is the same team that denied Salisbury and Skupski at Roland Garros earlier this year, handing them a painful loss in the French Open final. The chance for revenge adds another layer of intensity to what’s already a historic occasion.
For both men, this moment carries a unique significance. Salisbury is no stranger to success at Flushing Meadows — he has already won three consecutive US Open doubles titles between 2021 and 2023 alongside Rajeev Ram. Skupski, meanwhile, has reached the latter stages with different partners but has never stood on the US Open podium as champion. Now, teaming up for the first time this season, they’re proving that British partnerships can go toe-to-toe with the very best.
As Salisbury himself put it, “There have been a lot of British Grand Slam titles, but not too many with all-British pairings. It’d be great to put our names in the history books.” That hunger, combined with their resilience and experience, makes them a dangerous team heading into the final.
Win or lose, this is already a moment that British tennis can celebrate. But if Skupski and Salisbury lift the trophy, it will mark the end of a 122-year wait — and a victory that will be remembered for decades.
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