Joe Salisbury tones down celebrations after retaining US men’s doubles title at ‘sad time’

After successfully defending his US Open crown in New York, Britain’s leading doubles player Joe Salisbury admitted that he had toned down his celebrations as a mark of respect during this period of national mourning.

Always an understated character, Salisbury sat quietly on his chair after he and his American partner Rajeev Ram had become the first men to win back-to-back US Open doubles titles since the Australian pairing of Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge in the mid 1990s.

“It didn’t feel appropriate to be overly celebrating or at least showing that too much,” Salisbury told reporters afterwards, “because obviously everybody back home and around the world is in mourning.

“It definitely feels a bit strange to be in this situation,” added Salisbury. “Obviously we are very happy with the success that we have had, but, yeah, it’s a sad time at the same moment.”

There was always going to be a British winner in this final, as Salisbury and Ram’s opponents were Liverpool’s Neal Skupski and the Netherlands’ Wesley Koolhof.

Had the result gone the other way, then Skupski would have become the new world No 1, knocking Salisbury off the lofty perch he has occupied since early April. But it was the more experienced team who controlled the big points better, running out as 7-6, 7-5 winners in 1hr 56min.

Both Britons came onto the court wearing acknowledgements of the sad news from home: a black armband for Salisbury and a black ribbon for Skupski. “I saw a lot of [the news bulletins] yesterday,” said Skupski after the match, “because it was on the TV next to us when Joe was playing.

“It was a bit strange, us playing when the country is in mourning. [The Queen] was a great servant and we will remember that she was an incredible woman.”