Harrison and Skupski seize Australian Open doubles crown
Just two tournaments into their partnership, Christian Harrison and Neal Skupski turned Rod Laver Arena’s roar into their advantage, outlasting home favorites to claim the 2026 Australian Open doubles title in a match of grit and precision.
Christian Harrison and Neal Skupski wasted no time turning their new alliance into major silverware. In their second tour-level event together, the American-British pair edged Jason Kubler and Marc Polmans 7-6(4), 6-4 to lift the Australian Open trophy on Saturday. Inside Rod Laver Arena, they absorbed the afternoon crowd’s energy over one hour and 49 minutes, holding firm where it mattered most.
The final unfolded with raw emotion from the first ball. Kubler and Polmans, wild-card entries fueled by local cheers, fought back from 2-5 in the opening set to force a tiebreak. Harrison and Skupski, seeded sixth, responded by snatching four straight points from 3-4 down, their crosscourt returns pinning the Australians deep and shifting the match’s pulse.
“it’s obviously nice to get another Grand Slam,” said Skupski in the pair’s post-match press conference. “I was very close last year at the US Open and lost narrowly in the French. I look back on last year and kind of went over to see where it went wrong in the moments, and I learned from it.
”Christian has given me a new lease of life this year. We started obviously last week in Adelaide. He came to Baton Rouge for a week of training in December, which was amazing to get on court with him and get to know him a little bit more. It all feels well worth it now, picking up this trophy.“
Harrison said: “Unreal experience. This place is unreal to play. The crowds are incredible. For me, though, it was just simple. Just focused on just enjoying the moment with my partner. He brings a lot of experience. His level is just so high, and it really felt easy for me to just play my best tennis. So credit to him.”
Match point brought brothers into the spotlight. Harrison marked his maiden major with Ryan Harrison courtside, the siblings locked in a triumphant hug. Skupski, whose lone prior Grand Slam came at Wimbledon in 2023, shared the moment with his brother and coach, Ken Skupski, the embrace cutting through the arena’s lingering cheers.
All the emotions @charrison94 & @nealskupski are your 2026 Australian Open Doubles Champions!
They dismissed Kubler/Polmans 7-6(4), 6-4 en route to the title.@AustralianOpen | #AO26 pic.twitter.com/G9IDvlwX1Y— ATP Tour (@atptour) January 31, 2026
Partnership forged in hurried fire
Their bond formed under the season’s early glare, with Adelaide as a brief proving ground two weeks back. Those sessions revealed Harrison’s aggressive inside-out forehands meshing with Skupski’s net instincts, quick volleys turning defensive lobs into overhead winners. December drills in Baton Rouge layered on the trust, transforming off-court talks into on-court one–two patterns that exploited weak returns.
Skupski’s past as former No. 1 in doubles brought quiet authority, his reflections on near-misses at the US Open and French Open sharpening their resets. Harrison, drawing from singles battles, found rhythm in the doubles tempo, his heavy topspin approaches forcing errors on the hard courts. This rushed chemistry held against the home duo’s baseline grind, where every point tested the partnership’s green edges.
Tiebreak pivot unlocks the final
The opener’s tiebreak became the emotional hinge, Kubler and Polmans' rally from 2-5 echoing their round-robin resilience. But Harrison and Skupski’s four-point surge relied on precise down-the-line passes, Harrison’s forehand clipping the line to end it. That momentum carried into the second set, where they broke in the third game on a deep crosscourt lob that Polmans couldn’t chase.
The Australians’ underspin drops delighted the crowd but faltered against the seeds’ high-bounce replies, especially on Polmans’ backhand. Skupski called the adjustments at net, switching to body serves when Kubler poached aggressively. Victory arrived on Harrison’s second match point, an ace down the T silencing the roars and sealing their command.
Serves build unbreakable foundation
Precision serving anchored the triumph, with 80 per cent (43/54) of first-serve points won, per match stats. On Melbourne’s medium-paced hard courts, their varied placements—wide angles and down-the-line flats—kept returns shallow, opening alleys for inside-in winners. Kubler and Polmans pressed second serves hard but couldn’t crack the hold percentage, which stayed near-perfect after the early break.
This tactical edge, honed in Baton Rouge, exposed the locals’ struggles with lefty angles from Skupski jamming their inside-out attempts. The duo’s 1–2 combinations, serve followed by deep backhand returns, controlled rallies and eased the psychological load of the arena’s heat. As confetti rained on January 31, 2026, their glances hinted at deeper runs ahead, this title fueling a season of sustained fire on clay and grass.
