Cash and Glasspool Secure Historic Wimbledon Doubles Title

Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool, the fifth-seeded British duo, achieved a remarkable victory at Wimbledon, claiming their first Grand Slam title together. On Saturday, they triumphed over Rinky Hijikata and David Pel with a score of 6-2, 7-6(3) in the men’s doubles final.

Following their successes at Queen’s Club and Eastbourne, Cash and Glasspool are the first all-British team to capture the Wimbledon title since 1936. In that year, Pat Hughes and Raymond Tuckey defeated fellow Britons Charles Hare and Frank Wilde in the final.

“It sounds unbelievable when you say it,” Glasspool commented.

“We had a British champion last year (Henry Patten), and the year before (Neal Skupski), so it wasn’t something I was focused on. But we knew we had to make it two this year, and we gave it our all.”

The British favorites started strong, securing an early break due to a struggling service game from Pel. They swiftly completed the first set, delighting the crowd at a sunny Centre Court.

Hijikata and Pel, representing Australia and the Netherlands respectively, managed to save a break point early in the second set and exerted pressure in the fourth game. However, their opponents held firm and gained momentum, moving to a 4-2 lead.

After entering the competition as alternates and overcoming match points in their initial two matches, Hijikata and Pel leveled the score after eight games. Cash and Glasspool then elevated their performance in the tiebreak to seize the win, sparking jubilant celebrations.

“We played a tremendous amount of tennis on grass, every possible match,” Cash mentioned.

“There was a lot of talk leading up to this event, and we felt significant pressure. To achieve what everyone was anticipating is surreal.”

Despite the loss, the runners-up remained in good spirits.

“We didn’t even know each other before the tournament,” Pel, 34, shared. “We first spoke on the day the tournament began.”

Hijikata, who previously won the 2023 Australian Open with Jason Kubler, described his Wimbledon experience as a “crazy ride”.

“It’s been incredibly enjoyable playing with David,” Hijikata said.

“He brought fantastic energy to the court and made it easy for me. Playing on Centre Court is a dream come true. I’m a bit shattered, but it was a lot of fun.”