Rajeev Ram’s career ended under the lights in New York, not with another Grand Slam charge, but with a straight-sets defeat that opened the door for a new chapter in men’s doubles.
Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz beat Joe Salisbury and Ram 6-3, 6-4 to reach the US Open men’s doubles final, halting one of the great modern partnerships on their favourite stage and denying Salisbury a fifth final in six years.
For Ram, it was the last swing of a remarkable career. For Salisbury, it was the end of an era.
A great team’s final act
Salisbury and Ram have been the benchmark in New York. Between 2021 and 2023, no one could touch them at Flushing Meadows as they became the only team ever to win the US Open three years in a row. Four Grand Slam titles together cemented them as one of the standout pairings of their generation.
This time, the run stopped in the semi-finals.
Krawietz and Puetz seized control early, their aggressive returning and sharp net play blunting Salisbury’s serve and limiting Ram’s influence in the forecourt. The German duo broke once in each set and never let their grip slip, closing out a composed, clinical victory.
When it was over, the scoreline was simple. The moment was not.
Ram, reflecting on his final match, pointed straight to the setting and the shared history on Louis Armstrong Stadium.
“Honestly, it couldn't be better,” he said. “I know we've won the title and we've played on Ashe and for the final, but we've had some of our absolute most epic matches on that court, at Louis Armstrong.
“So first of all, it's at this tournament, it’s on that court. Joe was there. If you saw the poster that they made, more than half the pictures had him in it. So the whole thing, to me, it couldn't have been any better.”
A career closes, but the tournament surges on.
Skupski & Harrison vs Krawietz & Puetz: styles collide
Attention now turns to Saturday 12 September, when Neal Skupski and Lloyd Harrison face Krawietz and Puetz for the US Open men’s doubles title.
It is a final rich with contrast.
On one side, Skupski and Harrison, a British-American partnership still in its first season, already moving at remarkable speed. They needed just two tournaments together to strike gold in Melbourne, lifting the Australian Open trophy and announcing themselves as serious contenders on the biggest stages.
On the other, Krawietz and Puetz, the seasoned German pair, built on years of understanding and repetition. They arrive in New York as 2024 ATP Finals champions, a badge of consistency and quality across the season, yet with one glaring gap in their joint résumé: a Grand Slam title.
They have been close before. They also reached the US Open final in 2024, only to fall to Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson. That defeat still lingers in the background of this run.
History, revenge and a familiar script
The two teams know each other, and the Germans hold the edge. Their only previous meeting came in Adelaide, where Krawietz and Puetz came through 6-3, 2-6, 10-5 in a deciding match tiebreak. It was tight, tense, and it left a marker.
Skupski and Harrison have grown quickly since then. Their Australian Open triumph proved they can navigate the pressure and chaos of a Slam fortnight, even as a relatively new partnership. They arrive in this final with the belief that they can disrupt more established teams, just as they did in Melbourne.
Krawietz and Puetz bring the opposite energy: stability, structure, and the sense that their time at this level is overdue. They have the experience of a previous US Open final, the rhythm of a long-term pairing, and the confidence of ATP Finals success behind them.
One team chasing confirmation of a rapid rise. The other chasing long-awaited validation.
On Saturday, only one of them walks away with the Grand Slam that defines their season.
