Tennis

US Open: Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski reach men's doubles final with partners.

There will be two Britons in the US Open men's doubles final after Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski booked their places with their respective partners.

Salisbury and American Rajeev Ram, the defending champions, beat Colombians Robert Farah and Juan Sebastian Cabal 7-5 4-6 7-6 (10-6) in New York.

Skupski and Dutchman Wesley Koolhof beat Marcelo Arevalo and Jean-Julien Rojer 6-4 7-5 to reach Friday's final.

The winning pair will take the world number one ranking.

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Joe Salisbury (left) and Rajeev Ram (right) have won two Grand Slam titles together, while Neal Skupksi will be appearing in his first major men's doubles final

US Open: Joe Salisbury & Rajeev Ram become first pair this century to retain men's doubles title.

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Neal Skupski (top) and Joe Salisbury (bottom) wore a black ribbon and armband respectively in tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II


Britain's Joe Salisbury and America's Rajeev Ram edged a close final to become the first pair this century to retain the US Open men's doubles title.

They won 7-6 (7-4) 7-5 against Salisbury's compatriot Neal Skupski and Dutchman Wesley Koolhof.

Australian duo Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge were the last pair to win successive New York titles in 1995-96.

Salisbury donned a black armband and Skupski wore a black ribbon during the final in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II.

"We wanted to show a sign of respect and acknowledgement of the situation we are in [as a country], it's a huge moment in our history," said 30-year-old Salisbury.

"I think it didn't feel appropriate to be overly celebrating, or at least showing that too much, because obviously everybody back home and around the world is in mourning at the moment. It's a very sad time."

Victory ensured Salisbury remains the number one men's doubles player in the world, a ranking Skupski would have claimed had he and Koolhof won.

"I can't quite believe we're standing here again - to have won this twice in a row is amazing," said Salisbury.

"We had a tough ask to defend all the points that we won last year. But to have done it again is amazing."

Salisbury had to take time off tour after Wimbledon because of a back injury and was pleased that the work he had done to aid his recovery had produced success.

"I made a few technical, little technical changes to the serve, had a lot of gym work, rehab and strength training to help with it," he added.

"It feels amazing that it's all come together this quickly and we have had such success so soon after that."

US Open: Casper Ruud beats Karen Khachanov to reach New York final.

Norway's Casper Ruud continued his bid to land a first major title - and the world number one ranking - by beating Russia's Karen Khachanov to reach the US Open final.

Fifth seed Ruud, 23, won 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 5-7 6-2 in Friday's first men's singles semi-final at Flushing Meadows.

American hope Frances Tiafoe plays Spanish third seed Carlos Alcaraz in the second semi-final (00:00 BST).

Alcaraz will beat Ruud to world number one if he wins the title on Sunday.

But Ruud is guaranteed to move to the top of the ATP rankings, replacing Russia's Daniil Medvedev who lost in the US Open fourth round, if 19-year-old Alcaraz loses to 22nd seed Tiafoe.

Ruud has another chance of landing a first Grand Slam title three months after losing to Spain's Rafael Nadal in the French Open final.

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Casper Ruud has won nine ATP titles in his career, but never one of the sport's four majors

US Open final: Iga Swiatek beats Ons Jabeur to win New York title.

World number one Iga Swiatek capped a dominant season by beating Tunisian fifth seed Ons Jabeur at the US Open to win her second major title of 2022.

Poland's Swiatek, 21, won 6-2 7-6 (7-5) to secure the season's final Grand Slam trophy on the New York hard courts.

After a one-sided first set, 28-year-old Jabeur settled midway through the second but it was not enough to stop Swiatek clinching a third major title.

Swiatek's previous two wins both came on the clay at the French Open.

Jabeur also lost in the Wimbledon final in July and her wait for one of the sport's four most prestigious titles continues.

The Flushing Meadows final was a meeting between the two leading players on the WTA Tour this year, but Swiatek demonstrated why there is such a big gap between her and the rest with a largely dominant performance.

Swiatek remains the world number one, and would have done even if she had lost, with Jabeur moving up to a joint career-high ranking of second after reaching the final.

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Iga Swiatek (right) is the first woman to win the French Open and US Open titles in the same year since Serena Williams in 2013

US Open: Carlos Alcaraz beats Casper Ruud in New York to win first major.

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Carlos Alcaraz is the first teenager to become the men's world number one.

Spanish teenager Carlos Alcaraz fulfilled his potential as a future Grand Slam champion and world number one by beating Casper Ruud in the US Open final to achieve both feats.

Alcaraz won 6-4 2-6 7-6 (7-1) 6-3 in his first major final.

The 19-year-old is the youngest men's Grand Slam champion since Rafael Nadal won the French Open in 2005.

Ruud, 23, would have become the new world number one if he had won, but has now lost both of his two major finals.

Instead it is Alcaraz who replaces Russia's Daniil Medvedev at the top, becoming the first teenager to climb to the summit in the 49-year history of the ATP rankings.

After hitting a routine forehand long on his first championship point, Alcaraz took his second with a service winner out wide and instantly fell flat on his back in celebration.

Alcaraz, who saved two set points in the third which would have put Ruud ahead, ran up to his team in the stands and danced with them in a huddle, before returning to his seat where he was crying at the same time as smiling.

"This is something which I dreamt of since I was a kid, being number one in the world and a champion of a Grand Slam," said Alcaraz, who saved a match point against Jannik Sinner in the last eight to reach his first major semi-final.

"It is something I have worked very hard for. It is really, really special."

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Alcaraz is 17 months younger than Australia's Lleyton Hewitt was in 2001 when he was the previous youngest men's world number one

Alcaraz was the youngest Grand Slam men's finalist since Nadal won the 2005 French Open and the youngest US Open men's finalist since Pete Sampras won here in 1990.

Generally, over the course of a near three-and-a-half hour win over fifth seed Ruud, he looked unburdened by the weight of history.

The pair played to a high level throughout an engrossing match, with Alcaraz playing the bigger points better in front of a 24,000 crowd largely supporting the Spaniard.

Teenage male Grand Slam champions were not an unusual sight in the 1980s. Mats Wilander, Michael Chang and Boris Becker all won their first major title at the age of 17.

But since 1990, as the game has become more physical, winning seven best-of-five-set matches over two weeks as a teenager has been beyond everyone bar Rafael Nadal and now Carlos Alcaraz.

What is so intimidating for the rest of the world is that Alcaraz appears already to be virtually the complete player, even though his coach Juan Carlos Ferrero thinks he has reached just 60% of his potential.

He has lightening quick feet, power, touch, stamina and the self-belief that can turn matches at their pivotal moments. If that is not enough, he also looks to be a natural serve-volleyer.

Or, as his fellow Spaniard Nadal once memorably put it, the 19-year-old has "all the ingredients to make a great salad".

Davis Cup Finals: Great Britain begin campaign against United States in Glasgow.

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Cameron Norrie leads a British team that includes three top-50 singles players

Great Britain start their Davis Cup Finals campaign against the United States in Glasgow on Wednesday as the competition's group stages begin.

GB will face the USA, the Netherlands and Kazakhstan in Group D for a place in the November Finals in Malaga.

Cameron Norrie, Dan Evans, Andy Murray, Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski will compete for Britain, who have won the event 10 times, most recently in 2015.

Glasgow's Emirates Arena hosts the six Group D matches from 13-18 September.

A minute's silence will take place at the start of each day's play as a mark of respect following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, while the British team will wear black armbands or ribbons and the national anthem will be played.

Davis Cup: Great Britain lose 2-1 to United States in opening group tie.

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It was 00:58 BST by the time Andy Murray and Joe Salisbury finished their match

Andy Murray and Joe Salisbury lost a late-night doubles decider as Great Britain were beaten 2-1 by the United States in their Davis Cup group opener.

With the clock approaching 01:00 BST in Glasgow, the pair lost 5-7 6-4 7-5 to Rajeev Ram and Jack Sock to settle an agonisingly close tie.

Briton Cameron Norrie had fought back to beat Taylor Fritz and level the tie after Dan Evans lost to Tommy Paul.

GB play two more ties in Glasgow as they aim for November's knockout stage.

A minute's silence was held at the start of the tie at Emirates Arena following the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the British players are wearing black armbands or ribbons for their three Group D ties this week.

Great Britain will play the Netherlands on Friday and Kazakhstan on Sunday as they seek one of the two qualifying spots in the group.

Each nation plays two singles matches and one doubles against their group opponents in a best-of-three sets format. There are three other cities hosting groups this week as 16 nations chase places in November's finals in Malaga.

The day had started with a high-quality match between Evans and Paul, which was as close a contest as their world rankings suggested it would be, with the Briton ranked just four places higher than his American opponent Paul at 25th in the world.

Evans was beaten 6-4 4-6 6-4, meaning Norrie knew he had to win his match against Fritz to keep Great Britain in the tie.

Norrie had been out of sorts for much of the match until taking control of a second-set tie-break and riding the momentum to win 2-6 7-6 (7-2) 7-5.

Roger Federer's retirement is 'sad day' for sport, says rival Rafael Nadal.



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Federer and Nadal played each other 40 times, with Nadal winning 24 of those matches



Roger Federer's decision to retire from tennis is a "sad day" for sport, his great rival Rafael Nadal has said.

Federer, a 20-time Grand Slam champion, announced on Thursday that he would retire after the Laver Cup this month.

Only Spain's Nadal, with 22 majors, and Serbia's Novak Djokovic, with 21, have more men's Grand Slam singles titles than the 41-year-old.

"Dear Roger, my friend and rival. I wish this day would have never come," Nadal posted on social media.

"It's a sad day for me personally and for sports around the world."

Nadal defeated Federer 24 times in 40 matches during one of the most celebrated rivalries in tennis history.

"It's been a pleasure but also an honour and privilege to share all these years with you, living so many amazing moments on and off the court," Nadal said.

"We will have many more moments to share together in the future, there are still lots of things to do together, we know that.

"For now, I truly wish you all the happiness with your wife, Mirka, your kids, your family and enjoy what's ahead of you. I'll see you in London."


Federer made his professional debut aged 16 in 1998 and won his first Grand Slam title at Wimbledon in 2003.

The chairman of the All England Lawn Tennis Club, Ian Hewitt, congratulated Federer on a "truly remarkable career".

"He will forever be celebrated as one of our greatest Wimbledon champions, having lifted the trophy eight times from his 22 appearances at the All England Club," Hewitt added.

Billie Jean King, a 12-time Grand Slam winner, said Federer is a "champion's champion".

"He has the most complete game of his generation and captured the hearts of sports fans around the world with an amazing quickness on the court and a powerful tennis mind," she tweeted.

ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi said: "He spearheaded an incredible new era of growth and elevated the popularity of our sport. Few athletes have transcended their field in such a manner."


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