Six-time Grand Slam champion Joe Salisbury retires from tennis

Former world number one doubles player Joe Salisbury has brought his professional tennis career to a close. He chose this month's US Open as his final tournament, reaching the semi-finals alongside long-time partner Rajeev Ram, who also decided to retire.

The venue carried special significance: in 2023 Salisbury and Ram became the first pair in history to win three consecutive US Open men's doubles titles.

At 34, Salisbury stands as Britain's most successful men's doubles player of the Open Era. Beyond his partnership success with Ram, which also included the 2020 Australian Open title, he won two mixed doubles Grand Slam titles alongside Desirae Krawczyk.

A decision long in the making

Salisbury said he had been considering his future for some time and is now very happy with his decision. Writing on Instagram, he described tennis as having been his life for as long as he could remember, calling himself incredibly fortunate for the opportunities, experiences and success he has had. He said he gave everything he could and can look back on his career with pride and no regrets.

Earlier this year, Salisbury took a three-month break from the tour, having spoken to BBC Sport about anxiety that had been affecting him. While he felt it did not significantly impact his tennis, he said it left him with a persistent feeling of dread that made life on tour far less enjoyable.

Salisbury ends his career with 17 tour-level titles, including the season-ending ATP Finals in both 2022 and 2023.