With Seven Top 40 Players, Great Britain’s Doubles Stars Are Poised for Deep Wimbledon Run
While British journalists cover Jack Draper’s rise and Emma Raducanu’s rumored relationship with Carlos Alcaraz, a deep bench of UK doubles stars is flying under the radar—yet several are poised to make a serious run at Wimbledon on the lawns of the All-England Club this year. With recent titles and career-high rankings under many of their belts, each player looks to be trending upward at just the right time ahead of their home Slam.
Under the guidance of the LTA and renowned doubles guru Louis Cayer, Great Britain’s doubles depth is especially strong on the men’s tour.
“What the LTA and Louis Cayer have done with British doubles on the ATP side is unmatched. They’ve built a system, invested in it, and it’s paid off. They not only have achieved recent and current success in the form of Grand Slam Champions, top 10 players, and multiple top 8 teams, but they’ve built a clear path for younger British players to make a career in professional doubles. Other countries should take note.”
– Will Boucek | Tennis Tribe Founder, ATP Strategy Analyst
As of this week, the UK boasts two top 10 ATP players, five in the top 20, and seven in the top 40:
- No. 3 Henry Patten
- No. 10 Lloyd Glasspool
- No. 11 Neal Skupski
- No. 12 Julian Cash
- No. 17 Joe Salisbury
- No. 33 Luke Johnson (not entered in Wimbledon draw)
- No. 34 Jamie Murray
While the British women’s side has far less depth, one top 25 standout is playing the best tennis of her career: 30-year-old Olivia Nicholls. Here’s a closer look at the top British contenders with a legitimate shot at winning this year’s Wimbledon doubles titles.
Henry Patten: 2024 Wimbledon Champion
World No. 3 Henry Patten leads the pack of British doubles contenders in 2025. Last year, Patten and Harri Heliövaara made an improbable run to win their first Grand Slam title as a team at Wimbledon, claiming a dramatic three-set victory over Aussies Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson, saving three championship points along the way.
Since then, they’ve shown that their Wimbledon success was no fluke. The duo added a second slam title at this year’s Australian Open and have remained firmly inside the ATP top 5. With a 31–13 record, they’ve reached the quarterfinals or better in 10 of their last 11 events.
They begin their title defense in the bottom half of the draw against fellow Brits Dan Evans and Henry Searle, who enter as wildcards.
Related Podcast
Heliovaara and Patten Interview: The 2024 Wimbledon champs share their experience winning multiple majors and weigh in on the current state of doubles during an interview at Indian Wells.
Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool: Grass-Court Hot Streak
Cash and Glasspool enter Wimbledon as one of the hottest teams on grass. Teaming up at the start of 2025, the duo reached three straight finals during the short grass-court season and captured back-to-back titles at Queen’s Club and Eastbourne.
Seeded fifth, they’re riding an eight-match win streak and have won 11 of their last 12 matches on grass. According to Cash, the key to their chemistry goes beyond tactics.
“Both of our values and goals are aligned, which is very important,” said Cash. “We both have a vision to get to the top of the sport and are willing to put in the work to get there. We’ve learned a lot about each other on and off the court. It’s about doing the small things well to give us the best chance to win matches…that’s how we want to approach a two-week tournament at the Slams.”
In addition to their partnership success, Cash is also climbing individually. He sits at a career-high No. 12 and has nearly doubled his career prize money in 2025 alone ($581,155).
“I’m still doing a lot of the same stuff as I was a few years ago, and I don’t think I’m playing at much different of a level than before,” Cash added. “I’m trusting myself more in bigger moments and picking up on my opponents’ patterns more than I used to. It’s a very difficult journey to climb up the rankings.”
Cash and Glasspool open against the Dutch pairing of Tallon Griekspoor and Botic van de Zandschulp.
Related Podcast
Julian Cash Interview: The British doubles standout talks about his rise to the top of the doubles ranks and his partnership success with Lloyd Glasspool.
Neal Skupski and Joe Salisbury: Roland Garros Finalists
Two of Britain’s most decorated active doubles players joined forces at the beginning of 2025, and while expectations were high, Skupski and Salisbury didn’t see results immediately.
“Many people thought we’d do better at the start,” said Skupski. “We’ve played Davis Cup and the Olympics together, but we hadn’t spent a lot of time together off the court. It takes time to build chemistry and figure out which tactics work best. We’ve put in the work, and now we’re seeing it pay off.”
Seeded sixth, they’re coming off their best result yet as a team: a finals run at Roland Garros. Though they fell to Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in a nail-biter three-set final, the result was a strong confidence boost heading into Wimbledon.
“Making the French Open final wasn’t a complete surprise since we’ve both won Slams before,” Skupski said. “But I don’t think either of us expected to go that far on clay. Our confidence is high, and we’re really looking forward to our home Slam.”
Salisbury, a four-time Grand Slam champion with former partner Rajeev Ram, is among the most accomplished active ATP doubles players. Skupski himself has won Wimbledon three times—once in men’s doubles (2023) with Wesley Koolhof and twice in mixed (2021, 2022) with Desirae Krawczyk.
They’ll face British wildcards Charles Broom and Joshua Paris in the first round.
Related Podcast
Neal Skupski Interview: The Brit doubles star recaps his Roland Garros experience and discusses his new partnership with Joe Salisbury during a recent interview before Wimbledon.
Olivia Nicholls: WTA Top 25 Breakthrough
On the women’s side, Olivia Nicholls has quietly become a top 25 force in doubles at age 30. Currently ranked No. 24, she and partner Tereza Mihalíková recently won their first WTA 500 title on the Berlin grass, knocking off several top teams en route to the trophy.
Among their victims were Lyudmyla Kichenok and Erin Routliffe in the quarterfinals, Asia Muhammad and Demi Schuurs in the semifinals, and Roland Garros champions, Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini, in the championship match.
“It was an amazing week and we managed to bring our best level in every match,” Nicholls said. “Three out of the four teams we beat were ahead of us in the Race to the WTA Finals, so it was great to get those wins. It was long overdue to get our first title together—we were absolutely thrilled.”
You’ll hear more from Olivia in an upcoming Doubles Only podcast.
Seeded ninth, Nicholls and Mihalíková face Kamilla Rakhimova and Anna Sisková in their opening match.
Jamie Murray: The British Doubles Veteran
Last but certainly not least is the most recognizable British name in either draw: 39-year-old Jamie Murray. While he admits retirement could be on the horizon, the seven-time Slam champion remains a threat, especially with home-court support.
A Wimbledon finalist in men’s doubles in 2015 and mixed champion in 2007 (with Jelena Jankovic) and 2017 (with Martina Hingis), Murray knows how to deliver on Centre Court.
This year, he’s teaming up with another seasoned veteran, 41-year-old Rajeev Ram. With 13 Grand Slam titles between them, they are the most decorated team in either draw. Though unseeded, the Brit-American pair have the potential to make a run.
They’ll begin against Francisco Cabral and Lucas Miedler and could face Aussie duo, 15th seeds Matt Ebden and John Peers, in a possible second-round popcorn match—a familiar face for Murray, who partnered with Peers earlier this year.
#ICYMI: Check out our full podcast interview with Jamie Murray on the current state of pro doubles, recorded earlier this year at the Dallas Open.
