Joe Salisbury walked off the court at the US Open this month for what felt like the last time — and he did it smiling. Britain's greatest men's doubles player of the Open Era, a six-time Grand Slam champion and former world number one, has retired from professional tennis at age 34 register, and he says he has never been more at peace with a decision.
Doubles tennis doesn't get the same headlines as singles, but Salisbury changed the record books. In 2023, he and his long-time partner Rajeev Ram became the first pair in history to win three straight US Open men's doubles titles. That late-September New York crowd, with its unmistakable buzz, was the perfect stage for a good-bye. He finished his final tournament in the semi-finals, and Ram was right there beside him — retiring at the same time.
Salisbury's trophy case runs deep. He won the 2020 Australian Open with Ram, added two mixed doubles titles with Desirae Krawczyk, and captured 17 tour-level titles in all, including the prestigious season-ending ATP Finals in both 2022 and 2023. For a country that had waited decades for a men's doubles champion of his class, he became a quiet national hero.
But the decision to stop wasn't about injuries or age — it was about wellbeing. Early this year Salisbury took a three-month break, telling the BBC about the anxiety that had been weighing on him while traveling the world on tour. He said it gave him a "feeling of dread" that made life on the road far less enjoyable, even if it never really hurt his game.
Since returning, he has found a different kind of balance. In his retirement message on Instagram, he wrote: "Tennis has been my life for as long as I can remember and I have been incredibly fortunate to have had all the opportunities, experiences and success that I have. To be able to travel the world and call playing tennis my job has been a dream come true."
He added the line that captures his whole career: "I gave it my all and know I can be proud and look back with no regrets."
Salisbury's exit is a reminder that stepping away at the right time can be its own kind of victory. He leaves not because he had to, but because he chose to — with his happiness intact, his records safe, and a doubles partner beside him for one last standing ovation.