Wimbledon Doubles Campaign Begins
Neal Skupski, the Liverpool-born tennis star, will be chasing a fifth Wimbledon title as his doubles campaign begins on Wednesday, July 1. The Championships started at the All England Club on Monday, June 29, and will run until Sunday, July 12.
Former Headteacher's Pride
Mr Sutton, headteacher at King David High School in Wavertree, where Skupski was a student, told the ECHO: “We are incredibly proud to see one of our former students competing at Wimbledon - a wonderful achievement that reflects their dedication, talent, and hard work.”
Partnership with Christian Harrison
Skupski, 36, has been paired with American-born Christian Harrison, 32, since the start of the season. The duo officially joined forces during the offseason, playing their first tournament together at the Adelaide International in January before winning the Men's Doubles title at the Australian Open. They have been seeded fifth in the competition and will face the Argentinian duo Tomas Martin Etcheverry and Mariano Kestelboim in the first round.
Previous Wimbledon Success
The All England Club has been a place of great success for Skupski, who has claimed three Grand Slam titles there. Paired with American Desirae Krawczyk, he won the mixed doubles title in 2021 and 2022. The following year, Skupski and Dutchman Wesley Koolhof won the men's doubles title in SW19.
Early Career and Development
Skupski attended King David High School and honed his skills at Palmerston Tennis Club in Mossley Hill. He turned professional in 2012 after playing college tennis at Louisiana State University (LSU). He followed his older brother, Ken Skupski, as a professional, and the two played doubles together before Ken's retirement in 2022.
Influence of His Brother
In a 2023 interview with the ECHO, Skupski attributed his success to watching his brother: “Playing with my older brother, he was better because of his age, so I was always playing up and getting better from that.” He added: “We saw where Ken got to … and what I could probably do. People thought I was probably better than Ken or similar to Ken. At 18, going to college, that’s when I was starting to get a lot hungrier seeing Ken have success on the world stage and it’s been like that ever since, still hungry today.”
Career Highlights
Skupski started playing on the ATP Tour in 2013. A family highlight was reaching the men's doubles Wimbledon quarter-finals with Ken in 2017. In addition to his Grand Slam victories, Skupski has won 17 doubles events on the ATP Tour. His first win was with Ken at the Open Sud de France in 2018, and his most recent title was last year's Eastbourne International, playing with Michael Venus, shortly after they won at Queen's Club. He has also represented Great Britain in the Davis Cup since 2019 and has played for his country at the last two Olympic Games.
