Britons seize doubles throne in Turin's rebound
Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool channeled a season's pressures into a gritty victory at the Nitto ATP Finals, clinching the year-end No. 1 doubles ranking by outlasting the defending champions in a tiebreak thriller.
On November 11, 2025, inside the humming Inalpi Arena at the Nitto ATP Finals, Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool transformed a rocky group-stage start into a crowning achievement. The Britons, top seeds carrying expectations from seven tour-level titles, including triumphs at Wimbledon and the ATP Masters 1000 in Canada, overcame defending champions Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz 7-6(9), 6-2. No break points emerged in the first set, but they elevated their game, saving three set points in the tiebreak to claim the opener before dominating the second frame in a taut 82-minute battle.
This win evened their Peter Fleming Group record to 1-1 after an initial loss to home favorites Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori, while extending their ATP Head2Head lead over the Germans to 5-1, avenging a quarterfinal defeat at this year's Australian Open. The indoor hardcourt amplified their aggressive net rushes, with deep crosscourt returns disrupting the opponents' one–two patterns early on. Crowd energy surged as the tiebreak tension peaked, the arena's lights casting sharp shadows on every volley.
“It’s been one crazy year, that’s for sure,” said Cash after lifting the Year-End ATP Doubles No. 1 presented by PIF trophy in an on-court ceremony. “We put an awful lot of work in during the offseason. We couldn’t have done it without everyone there in the box, also my family up there. It takes a lot of people to get to this spot. We’ve ticked off so many things this year and I think we both truly believed at the start of the year that this was possible for us and to be standing here now is very surreal.”
“We wouldn’t be here without our box and our team,” Glasspool added. “They’ve supported us for many, many years. It’s been an incredible year. Credit to ourselves as well. I think we’ve worked very hard. We’ve pushed each other massively.”
Pressure forges unbreakable partnership
The duo's journey this season blended relentless offseason preparation with on-court synergy, turning potential doubts into unyielding resolve after that opening group setback. Their net play sharpened through slice approaches and inside-out forehands, pulling the Germans off balance and exposing gaps in the baseline exchanges. As the match progressed, the psychological weight of chasing the top ranking fueled bolder returns, transforming the arena's murmurs into roars with each saved set point.
Glasspool's steady volleys complemented Cash's deep serves, creating service games that withstood probing crosscourt lobs from the defenders. This victory released a wave of relief, the kind built from exorcising early-year ghosts like the Australian Open loss, where similar tactics had faltered on a faster surface. Now, with the Year-End ATP Doubles No. 1 presented by PIF secured, their mutual drive feels amplified, setting a tone of quiet confidence amid the Finals' escalating stakes.
ON TOP OF THE WORLD!
Julian Cash & Lloyd Glasspool secure their place as the year-end world no. 1 doubles team presented by PIF #PIF #ATPRankings #Partner pic.twitter.com/RhIDfIKw7N— ATP Tour (@atptour) November 11, 2025
Tactical poise overcomes defending duo
Krawietz and Puetz entered leaning on their title-defending precision, using down-the-line backhands to test the Britons' positioning from the baseline. But Cash and Glasspool adapted swiftly, varying their patterns with underspin lobs that bought time for repositioning and disrupted the opponents' serve-volley rushes. The second set's momentum shift came through targeted second-serve returns, pulling the Germans wide with inside-in angles that forced unforced errors.
Indoor conditions favored their evolution on quicker surfaces, where low-bouncing slices countered high-trajectory returns more effectively than in earlier setbacks. This matchup highlighted their growth, blending mental fortitude with tactical nous to neutralize familiar foes who had once held the edge. The 82-minute duel ended with the top seeds in control, their partnership's rhythm unbroken as the crowd's applause echoed the season's hard-earned crescendo.
Group stage sharpens semifinal hunt
At 1-1 in the group, the Britons now turn to Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos, a pairing that mixes crafty lobs with lefty spin on these true-bouncing courts. Their aggressive blueprint—mixing one–two punches at net with deep crosscourt groundstrokes—will face a test in countering Zeballos's angles, but the unburdened mindset from clinching No. 1 adds edge. Turin's atmosphere pulses with possibility, as Cash and Glasspool's story of rebound and belief positions them for a deeper run, one precise point echoing their path to the pinnacle.
