Scouser Neal Skupski wins Wimbledon and makes history

Liverpudlian tennis player Neal Skupski made history on Saturday as he won the men’s doubles title at Wimbledon alongside Dutch partner Wesley Koolhof.

With big brother Ken watching on after he cut short a family holiday in Ibiza, the 33-year-old Scouser and his partner beat Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 6-4 6-4 on Centre Court.

Skupski became just the second Briton to win the SW19 men’s doubles in the open era, after Jonny Marray 11 years ago, and the first to win the mixed and men’s doubles titles at Wimbledon since 1926.

The former world No. 1 in doubles won the mixed finals in 2021 and 2022 and said he had no choice but to claim his maiden men’s doubles title on Saturday after brother Ken, who is also his coach, made a whirlwind trip to watch. "There was a lot of pressure on me this morning after he came back," Neal said. "He did go to Ibiza for probably 14 hours.”

"He had a 1am flight this morning [Saturday] back from Ibiza that was delayed a couple of hours so got into Gatwick at 4.30am, slept in a pod at Gatwick airport. Got the car at 9am here. He was on court with me borrowing my clothes. Yeah, he’s already left to go back to Ibiza with the family. He probably wants a pay rise!

"He always said, ‘If you make the final, I’m coming back’. I don’t know if he ever believed that I’d make the final. But, yeah, amazing for him. Unbelievable commitment."

Liverpool-born Skupski went to King David High School before heading to Louisiana State University to finish a degree in sports administration in 2012. He became a professional tennis player in 2013 and regularly partnered with his brother on the doubles circuit.