US OPEN

September 12, 2026

Christian Harrison

Neal Skupski

Press Conference

HARRISON-SKUPSKI/Krawietz-Puetz

6-4, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Gentlemen, congratulations. Tremendous accomplishment. If one of you could just talk to your thoughts on what you've accomplished today.

NEAL SKUPSKI: After you. Come on, you're the American.

CHRISTIAN HARRISON: It shows what can happen when you persevere, you work hard. We've got a good team. Doubles, obviously it's about playing with your partner.

We had a couple of tough losses actually going into the Open. We had lost three matches in a row, but we were somehow able to take some confidence into this tournament.

I felt like we were just improving with each match. By the second, third round, I felt like we were both playing with the belief that we could do this again.

THE MODERATOR: Neal?

NEAL SKUPSKI: Yeah, like Christian said, pretty speechless right now. Obviously I've been here in this moment before with the runners-up trophy a couple times, having match points last year in the championship match. This definitely feels a lot better.

Yeah, it's been a long process getting back to where we need to be. We've put the work in. Yeah, it's been a long summer. We haven't had the results that we had wanted, but we've had tough losses where it could have gone either way.

We've stayed focused and confident throughout. We came here early, yeah, put the work in on the practice courts with our team. Yeah, good things happen, and as long as you stay in the tournament, yeah, good things can definitely happen.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. When you had all the surgeries for a period of time, was there ever a point you doubted that you'd be able to get to a point where you win an Aussie Open in doubles or ever be able to do this, play at this level again?

CHRISTIAN HARRISON: Yeah, you always have doubts, especially when -- I mean, I had eight surgeries, missed eight-, nine-plus years of just stopping, starting. Of course, there's always a little bit, especially as you're getting older, you know, and you realize your body is not recovering the same, but I never lost, yeah, my joy for playing.

You know, my parents, my family, they gave me everything I need to never give up. Luckily my dad taught me how to play doubles when I was younger, had a game that could translate into the doubles, because it doesn't happen as smoothly for everybody.

So I was lucky that my game translated well and could work hard and then be here, because yeah, I'm as happy playing as I've ever been.

Q. You won this title without dropping a set in the tournament, and I realize that some of those sets didn't always come that easily, but how did you both maintain that level of focus and consistency to get the W?

NEAL SKUPSKI: Yeah, it's been obviously an amazing couple of weeks for us. I think we won Australia -- I think we lost, the first round, we lost the first set, and then we didn't lose another set afterwards. Yeah, I think.

Yeah, it's just total focus throughout the match, believing in each other, looking at our team, trying to give us as much energy as possible.

I feel like when we play with energy and belief, we're a very much dangerous team, and I think that's what sometimes maybe we lacked in the summer where we didn't have the results that we had wanted, but we both believe in each other's games.

I feel like we complement each other very well on the court, and we're still new as a partnership. We're still getting to know each other, even though we've known each other for a long time, losing long ago in 2013 in our first Futures together in the first round in England. We've come a long way.

Yeah, just believing in the big moments that we've got each other's back, and it definitely showed on the court throughout this week and last.

Q. Can you talk a little bit about momentum? You come in here with three losses, you don't lose a set, and also you feel like you are sort of a streaky team?

CHRISTIAN HARRISON: I would say doubles, the margins are so small, especially at the tournaments outside the majors where there are no ad and tiebreakers. In the majors, we know there's a little bit more breathing room and match time. It just allows you to just operate with more confidence.

You think about it, why can't you just win in two sets at the other ones, but you kind of know that everything can happen quick, so there's just more tension.

Also, at the 1000s, there's just a lot of good teams and there's a lot of teams that can challenge you. If anything is off just a little bit, you know, teams are hungry and ready to take advantage.

But, you know, we did a good job to set ourselves up to play your best at the slams and to be there mentally. It's a long season. They do a good job of doing that, and I kind of learned from them on that this year, obviously when we work together, Ken and Neal, and making sure that your body and mind is fresh for these tournaments the ways we set up the weeks before in practice.

Q. You mentioned your dad. What did it mean to you that he was willing to get on a plane and then fly here?

CHRISTIAN HARRISON: Oh, so much. As soon as we won the semis, home slam, I just wanted everybody that had given me the opportunity to play, you know, because I really feel like when I win matches, any kind, when we win together, they're happier than I am when I've won a match.

So then I'm, like, I want them to be here and to share it now. Thinking we got, what, the Champagne. He knows what it is, so we get to do it. He was telling me.

NEAL SKUPSKI: Yeah, I've seen it over the years when I've lost, other teams popping Champagne bottles with each other.

CHRISTIAN HARRISON: I'm looking forward to getting out there and doing that.

NEAL SKUPSKI: Finally.

CHRISTIAN HARRISON: I'm looking forward to that right now (laughing).

Q. You've won your two majors on hard. Do you feel like that translates better for your particular set of skills?

NEAL SKUPSKI: Yeah, I'd probably say that we like the faster surfaces, but it doesn't mean, like, we can't adapt to playing on grass, we can't adapt to playing at the French Open.

CHRISTIAN HARRISON: We had a tough loss.

NEAL SKUPSKI: Yeah, last year I played Christian in the semifinal of Roland Garros, so we know how to play on the clay.

Then at Wimbledon, I feel like it's my home slam and definitely get the home crowd behind us.

CHRISTIAN HARRISON: Past champion.

NEAL SKUPSKI: We can do well there. It's just we're always adapting, always finding out what's best for our games and how we can gel together.

Yeah, we've started well in Australia, we've ended well at the US Open, but it would be great if we can continue this form going into the latter parts of the season.

Q. Has Wimbledon been your top of list to win, and for you, was the Open what you wanted to win most?

CHRISTIAN HARRISON: You go first.

NEAL SKUPSKI: Yeah, I would say obviously as a boy growing up in England and seeing Wimbledon on the TV, Wimbledon is very special for me. That's the one I wanted to win.

Not everybody gets a chance to play Wimbledon. It was very special for the first time I think in 2013 [sic] to play with my brother. I couldn't play the first round, I was so nervous, against Dustin Brown and Jan-Lennard Struff.

I would say Wimbledon for me would be my biggest honor, but that doesn't kind of put down on the Australian Open or the US Open. They're all very high achievements. I just have a little bit more of heart with Wimbledon.

CHRISTIAN HARRISON: I would say the Open will live longer. You're American, winning at home, and the family all got to be here, so that will be more special for a long time in terms of just pure satisfaction.

Like, winning the first one in Australia, new partnership, the first time doing it where it's just a Grand Slam champion, I'll never forget that feeling, because I remember the nerves I felt going in where you have this performance pressure, and you're just finding a way to settle that.

Got a lot of confidence from that. So they're two different things. That's the best way I can summarize it.