Neal Skupski Reaches US Open Doubles Final
Neal Skupski is heading back to a Grand Slam final – and this time in New York, he wants the door slammed shut, not left ajar.
The 36-year-old from Liverpool, alongside American partner Christian Harrison, overpowered top seeds Henry Patten and Harri Heliovaara to reach the US Open men’s doubles final, winning 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 in an hour and 23 minutes. The scoreline tells a story of control; the context adds a layer of unfinished business.
Skupski and Harrison, the Australian Open champions, have marched through this Flushing Meadows draw without dropping a set. On Thursday, they met opponents who knew their game and had beaten them this season. That edge disappeared under the lights.
Match Overview
The opening set was tight, tense, and exactly what you would expect from a semi-final featuring the tournament’s top seeds. Skupski and Harrison held firm on serve, absorbed pressure, and waited. When the tie-break arrived, they pounced. Clean returns, sharp volleying, and a surge of belief carried them to 7-4 and a one-set lead that felt bigger than the numbers suggested.
From there, the match tilted decisively.
Second Set Performance
The second set became a statement. Skupski and Harrison broke early, then again, stretching the rallies, attacking the net with purpose, and forcing Patten and Heliovaara to play from uncomfortable positions. The top seeds never found a way back. At 6-2, it was over, and Skupski was into another major final with a familiar glint in his eye.
He knows this stage well now. This run puts him on the brink of a fifth Grand Slam title and a third in men’s doubles, adding to his Wimbledon crown in 2023 with Wesley Koolhof and that Australian Open triumph earlier this year alongside Harrison. Yet Flushing Meadows still holds a sting.
Last year, Skupski and fellow Briton Joe Salisbury stood on this same court, three championship points in hand, only to see the US Open trophy slip away. That kind of defeat lingers. It also fuels.
Skupski's Reflection
Speaking after the win, Skupski underlined the edge that had been missing in those previous meetings with Patten and Heliovaara.
“We know these guys pretty well, we've played them a couple of times this year and they've got the better of us but we brought it today, we knew we had to and really looking forward to a final in New York,” he said.
The hunger is obvious, and he made no attempt to hide it.
“We're both very hungry. We've worked hard to get here.
We had success at the start of the year at the Australian Open. We had a great time, we know what it feels like to win a Grand Slam and we're going to leave it all out there on Saturday.”
No sets dropped. A top-seeded pair dispatched. A first US Open title within touching distance.
Skupski returns to the biggest stage in doubles with scars, form, and a partner who has already helped him climb the mountain once this year. On Saturday in New York, he gets the chance to find out if the city that broke his heart 12 months ago is ready to rewrite his story.
