BATON ROUGE, La. – LSU alumnus and current ATP world No. 5 Neal Skupski advanced to his third US Open final after Thursday’s straight-sets win over the tournament’s No. 1 seed, Henry Patten/Harri Heliovaara. He has competed all year alongside Louisiana native Christian Harrison, with the two looking to secure their maiden US Open title.
Skupski and Harrison will face off against the German duo, Tim Putz and Kevin Krawietz, on Saturday, Sept. 12, at 11:00 a.m. CT in Arthur Ashe Stadium. The match can be streamed on ESPN+.
Skupski arrived at LSU in 2008, becoming the first freshman to earn All-America Status in men’s tennis. He earned that honor four times over his collegiate career: two nods for singles and two for doubles. Skupski also notched five total All-SEC awards and reached a career-high No. 4 doubles ITA ranking alongside Michael Venus in 2009.
His brother and coach, Ken Skupski, played for LSU from 2003 to 2007, the same four years head coach Danny Bryan was on the team. He was named First Team All-SEC every year of his tenure and holds the second-most doubles wins in his career, only trailing Bryan by one. Most notably, Ken Skupski leads all Tigers with 213 combined singles and doubles victories throughout his career.
On the pro tour, Skupski first reached the doubles ATP world No. 1 in 2022. In January of this year, he reclaimed the top spot after his Australian Open title, moving his Grand Slam title mark to four. Previously, Skupski captured three consecutive titles on his home courts at Wimbledon. He logged back-to-back mixed doubles titles (2021, 2022) before returning to Centre Court to deliver his first Men’s Doubles title (2023). After finishing as the runner-up last year, the former Tiger aims to take home his fifth major championship and his first in the Big Apple.
Each player from the pair holds ties to The Bayou. From Shreveport, Louisiana, Harrison’s family is deeply rooted in tennis. His aunt, Pattie Harrison, was a top player at LSU from 1983-86. He has played alongside his brother Ryan, who is a former French Open doubles champion. Additionally, his father, Pat Harrison, and grandfather, Jimmy Harrison, are both inducted into the Louisiana Tennis Association Hall of Fame. His uncle, Mark Harrison, and three aunts, Pattie, Vickie, and Valerie Harrison, are also in the Hall of Fame.
For the latest updates, follow @LSUTennis on Instagram, Facebook, and X.