Rajeev Ram has closed the curtain on his glittering career at the age of 42.
Ram has officially decided to hang up his racket following the US Open, where he reached the semifinals of the men’s doubles event alongside Joe Salisbury. Salisbury has just retired from tennis as well, bowing out with six Grand Slam titles to his name across doubles and mixed doubles.
With four doubles titles and two mixed doubles titles, ATP veteran Ram boasts the exact same record as his longtime playing partner Salisbury, and has now issued an emotional statement saying goodbye to tennis after his US Open exit.
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Rajeev Ram issues emotional statement after retiring from tennis
Sharing a handful of images on his Instagram, Ram wrote: “All good things must come to an end, and it’s with a whole host of emotions that I say goodbye to my playing career.
“The reality is that all of this started as just a game. I always thought tennis could be a sport for life for me, but I never envisioned that it would make my life. There were many wins and losses along the way, but I always felt like my purpose in this game was to simply work to be better today than I was yesterday. That was my driving force, my why, and the thing that kept me going for more than two decades. And I had the time of my life doing so.
“To any person who comes from South Asian heritage: I’m here to tell you that you can do anything you want if you commit to it. There’s no certain path you have to follow, and nothing is out of reach. If you set your mind to achieving your dream and surround yourself with the right people, it can happen… I’m living proof.
“And finally, to all of those who supported me, cheered for me, suffered with me, and loved me… Thank you. It’s you who took me from the boy with a passion in the first picture to the man with a lifetime of memories in the last picture. I hope I did you proud. And Dad… there have been so many days I’ve wanted to share with you, and this is no exception. I miss you. I love you. Thank you. I hope I made you the proudest.”
| Result | Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponents | Score |
| Win | 2020 | Australian Open | Joe Salisbury | Max Purcell Luke Saville |
6–4, 6–2 |
| Loss | 2021 | Australian Open | Joe Salisbury | Ivan Dodig Filip Polasek |
3–6, 4–6 |
| Win | 2021 | US Open | Joe Salisbury | Jamie Murray Bruno Soares |
3–6, 6–2, 6–2 |
| Win | 2022 | US Open | Joe Salisbury | Wesley Koolhof Neal Skupski |
7–6(7–4), 7–5 |
| Win | 2023 | US Open | Joe Salisbury | Rohan Bopanna Matthew Ebden |
2–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
Rajeev Ram retires after exceptional ATP career
Ram will undoubtedly retire from tennis as one of the best doubles players ever, having claimed 32 ATP titles and reached number one in the world rankings. He leaves the sport with a win-loss record of 511-368, with the American falling just short of another US Open title before retirement.
He enjoyed most of his Grand Slam success on home soil, claiming three successive US Open men’s doubles titles alongside Salisbury from 2021 to 2023, while the pair secured back-to-back ATP Finals titles in 2022 and 2023.
Meanwhile, his two major mixed doubles titles arrived while playing with WTA star Barbora Krejcikova, with the pair winning the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021. Ram also enjoyed superb success at the Olympics, securing the silver medal for the USA in mixed doubles in 2016, and again in doubles in 2024.
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