Neal Skupski is one of the best doubles players in the world over the last several years. He's a 3-time Wimbledon Champion, winning 2 mixed titles (2021, 22) and 1 men's title (2023), former world #1, and a recent Australian Open mixed doubles finalist. He is currently the #8 ranked doubles player on the ATP Tour.
I spoke with Neal on a day off for him at the 2024 Dallas Open. In this episode, we dive deep into his practice drills and routines, including specific tactics that apply to real match situations for doubles.
You'll learn:
We also discuss mixed doubles strategy, including his partnership with Desirae Krawczyk who has two Wimbledon titles with Neal. Then I ask about how his relationship with Ken Skupski, Neal's brother, former teammate, and current coach, works so well. At the end, Neal shares his thoughts on making doubles more popular.
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Neal Skupski is one of the best doubles players in the world over the last several years. He's a 3-time Wimbledon Champion, winning 2 mixed titles (2021, 22) and 1 men's title (2023), former world #1, and a recent Australian Open mixed doubles finalist. He is currently the #8 ranked doubles player on the ATP Tour.
I spoke with Neal on a day off for him at the 2024 Dallas Open. In this episode, we dive deep into his practice drills and routines, including specific tactics that apply to real match situations for doubles.
You'll learn:
We also discuss mixed doubles strategy, including his partnership with Desirae Krawczyk who has two Wimbledon titles with Neal. Then I ask about how his relationship with Ken Skupski, Neal's brother, former teammate, and current coach, works so well. At the end, Neal shares his thoughts on making doubles more popular.
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**Join the #1 Doubles Strategy Newsletter for Club Tennis Players**
**Doubles Strategy Courses** These video courses will help you play smarter doubles and make winning easier.
**Doubles Ebooks** These guides offer proven advice to improve your doubles strategy.
You're about to hear my conversation with Neil Skupsky from the Dallas Open. Neil is currently the number eight doubles player on the ATP tour. He's a former world number one. He's a three-time Wimbledon champion, including two mixed doubles titles with Desiree Kraftschick, and then last year he won the men's doubles title at Wimbledon with Wesley Kuhlhoff, and he's definitely one of the best doubles players in the world over the last three years or so. So I sat down with him on Wednesday of the Dallas Open they had won their first match on Monday so I talked to him a little bit about what he does with those days off when you have kind of a gap in your schedule like that and then from there we talk about the practice court and Neil goes into probably more detail than anybody I've ever had on the podcast in terms of professional doubles players. So he goes through specific drills that he and his partner, santiago Gonzalez, did that day and how they relate to the match court. So the thing that I really took away from it is that all of their practice is focused on trying to simulate real match situations. So after listening to this, you should be thinking about how to restructure your own practice court to help it or to make it more like your actual doubles matches.
Speaker 1:After discussing practice, we talk a little bit about analytics how the LTA helps British doubles players with analytics. We also talk about mixed doubles where, like I said, he's won Wimbledon twice. He and Desiree Kraftschick also just made the finals at the Australian Open. And then we talk about his relationship with his brother and coach, ken Skupsky. So they used to be a team on the ATP tour. Then Ken retired. Now Ken is coaching Neil, so we talk a little bit about that as well. And then at the end we discuss how to make doubles more popular. So this is a really fun conversation, about 20 minutes or so, with one of the better doubles players on tour. So, without further delay, enjoy my conversation with Neil Skupsky. All right, we're here with Neil Skupsky at the Dallas Open. Neil, you're into the second round after your win on Monday, and before we get to tennis, I wanted to start with something that might be a little more important. So, since Nick Saban's gone at Alabama, how many national titles can Brian Kelly win at LSU?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, brian Kelly's been doing well in the last couple of years. Obviously it's not easy to start with coming in and trying to change the program straight away, but yeah, he's doing a good job. We're seem to be trending in the right direction. But yeah, obviously Nick Saban's gone now, so hopefully there's a few LSU national championships around the corner. But even if Nick Saban was there, I think we'd still win anyway.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think so too. So you all played Monday, you won and you've had two days off. What do you do with this time off during a tournament when you've got this kind of gap?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so we finished on Monday and then obviously the tournament told us that we wouldn't play until Thursday, just because of the scheduling wise. So yeah, we practiced yesterday, on Tuesday, and then normally if we have two days off we'll probably try and get a game of golf in somehow, and that's what we did. I think it's good to kind of get away from the tennis court, kind of relax our minds. Where'd you play? We played at Stevens Park. It was a municipal but it was a nice course. It was good. It's a lot better than any municipals in England that I've seen. But yeah, it's good, especially play with Santi Gonzalez now it was good kind of team bonding.
Speaker 1:Team feel for his golf game? Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2:He's very good. He's a lot better than me, oh really, my brother came along and then we had Nate Lamans join us as a four ball, but it was good. And then today, wednesday, kind of Um relax a little bit. We we probably did an hour and a half on the tennis core, do some specifics, um, try and iron out a few little kinks on a game. And, yeah, we're trying to. Obviously, we only started in January, together with many. This is our third tournament together, so still a lot, uh, a lot to learn with each other. Um, but I think we're we are in the right direction and um, yeah, looking forward to our next match on Thursday.
Speaker 1:What did uh practice look like these past couple of days? I like to kind of get into details for listeners so they can kind of take away things for their own practices, yeah, so I'm.
Speaker 2:I mean we warm up just from the back um up and down the middle cross courts um probably for five, 10 minutes.
Speaker 2:Um and then we get into more doing the stuff around the net um, warm up, my volley smashes, um, and then we'll do some like attacking defense stuff, um. So I'll be at the net, my um, my coach, my brother, he would feed Santi and easy ball down the line and he would try and pass me or, um, make it difficult volley for me, um. So so Santi's at the baseline, sense of the baseline. He's got a short ball and he's hitting the ball very hard at me or around me, um, just to try and uh, um for me to turn defense into attack in some way. So I've got to be obviously quick with my reactions.
Speaker 2:Um, try and get Santi off the front foot by, um either angling it off or, um pushing it back to a weaker side, normally a back end side, um, because we don't like to kind of give everyone um two or three forearms in a row, um, as that's the normally the strength of a player, um, but yeah, we do that and then we change it up where we. This is down the line right Down the line.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and you're not playing the point out.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean so mostly in in double situation. Um, say me and my partner. Um, I'm at the back, um hit a ground stroke, um Santi's at uh at the net. Um, and both of the our opponents are at the net. I would normally hit the guy down the line in front of me just to give Santi, to bring him into play more.
Speaker 2:If I hit to the guy in the cross court, it kind of takes Santi out of the game, the angles open up and then normally we would lose the point with the, with uh me hitting down the line, um aiming for the guy's left hip. Um, it gives them less angles. Um, it gives them a back and volley, which is normally the weaker one. Um, and then Santi can kind of squeeze over a little bit and try and get involved. Um, but yeah, that's what we, we would do for that one Um, and then a little bit with attacking the friend from the back.
Speaker 2:So, easy ball for Santi from the back. He hits it hard at me when I'm at the back as well, on the baseline, and then we play the point out from there. Um, because all these, every time we go into a match, well practice court, we want to simulate match conditions and, normally in them, situations Um eight was the critical point for uh the current to be able to change their position. You're getting attacked by an opponent, so you need to practice that, and then also vice versa when you're on the attack.
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm. And then what about serves and returns? How much time do you spend on that?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I a big amount because especially in doubles that's a big part of the of of doubles Normally probably spend about. If we do an hours on on the practice core we'll probably spend about 20 minutes. It's quickly warm up to each of the sides. I would normally serve to the opposite side. That's anti. So I would serve to the outside because Santa plays on the juice. Santa would serve to the juice side and then from there we would change it up.
Speaker 2:Santa would serve to me, I would work on my returns and then change it up and then normally once we're warm we would then Play a few points. Normally it's we play a game called the volleyball game, whereas you can only win points on you when you're serving and then If you don't win the point, then I change the change, the server I would serve and vice versa until year to seven. Just that's just to work on kind of game situations Trying to win points in your serve and then Changing it up to where we would. Only you can only win Points when you're returning and that's normally when you are Are facing a second serve.
Speaker 1:Okay, and that you're just playing the point out. Cross court? Yeah, I mean no.
Speaker 2:Yeah, normally it's cross court, but in some situations, like You'll play I formation, or is it called Australian in America?
Speaker 1:depends. Yeah, it's. I teach it as two different things.
Speaker 2:Okay so.
Speaker 1:I is what you all do, but Australian is a little bit more over on the same side yeah a little bit more over if, like you, have bad knees or something, yeah exactly so I would.
Speaker 2:I did not what I formation that we play. The server would tell the return of which way he's gonna come in down the line or cross court when to return, and he doesn't tell you where he's gonna serve. But yeah, that's what we would normally do in practice.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, so it's all kind of simulating real match situations. Yeah, exactly what about the rest of the day? Are you gonna I think this match has already started for your opponents tomorrow. Do you typically watch that, or do you have you already kind of scouted them and you're just kind of gonna relax the rest of the day? How do you appreciate? Yeah, I mean, I know probably.
Speaker 2:I Know three out of the four. I don't know Mansourie that well, but he's been doing very well. He's one, I think two challenges back to back with a British guy, luke Johnson. They've just got back in well, just got into the side, got inside the top 100 for the first time, so obviously he's full of confidence. But, yeah, my, obviously my brother and Santy's coach are watching them.
Speaker 2:Now, after this I'll I'll go join them Just get it, just get a feel of what's happening, because both teams have never played each other. So it's just a little bit it could be a little bit bit of a different dynamic. But I'll also do it my own homework back home, back at the hotel room, because we haven't up he. We do have plenty of time normally on the road to look at and try and scout, especially with it's nice with being a British player. With the LTA they do a lot of scouting and we have a lot of stat stats on Our opponents. So if I wanted to look at Gonzalo Escobar say he wins I'll go back, I would type his name into this doc, into the database, into this system, and We'll probably pop Escobar, probably have about 20 matches on him, mm-hmm stats on where he serves, where he returns, what his weaknesses are, probably have 10 videos on him playing with opponents. He used to play with Ariel Behar, so we'll have videos of them playing together and then I'll just watch. They kind of snip it down to probably like a normally a matches a narrow and a half. The LTA break it down to seven minutes, take out all the the breaks, mm-hmm. You just see points, which is great, and you can filter the videos to see if you just wanted to watch the return, if you just wanted to watch him serving. So that's a big advantage of being a British tennis player and because the LTA help you out in a massive way.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I've heard that the LTA supports in that way and I know, as far as I know, usta doesn't do that and I've been talking a little bit to try to get them to do a little bit more analytics. But it sounds like a lot of players I talk to, some of them are very heavy into the analytics and a lot of players like to play with a little bit more feel and kind of like just go with their gut. It sounds like you're a little bit more on the analytics side.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean I like to play by the numbers. I like to kind of at least go into the match knowing maybe what the guy's favorite service and then maybe edge over to that If we do get a juice point, that deciding point juice, and then if I see on the stats where he's never hit a wide serve on a big point, I'm going to edge over to the tea serve. But it's just something that I like to look at. I like to tick off all the boxes before going into a match, because if you don't, you feel like you're not prepared and then, yeah, things can get into your head. I mean, I know a lot of people. Some guys just like to go on call, not really think about, and just try and play their own game, which is great. I try and do that as well. But I like to back that up with a little bit of stats.
Speaker 1:Sure. So something I noticed on Monday so we were having a conversation with you and Santi after your match and something I noticed in the match was they the opponent seemed to get into Santi serve a little bit more. I think he was broken twice and they had like another juice point. And I mentioned that to Santi and, you know, asked him why he thought that was the case and he said I felt like I was serving well. I didn't really think anything was wrong. I don't think there's any adjustments that needed to be made. And then I noticed you were very quick to jump in and say it's also not just the server's fault if they're in his service games. I missed a few of all these at the net. Talk a little bit more about A why you did that and then why that's so important.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean, first of all, I think it's not. In my opinion, when someone gets broke, it's the team that gets broke, it's not an individual. We go on the court as a team. So I never blame my partner, for obviously if they have a bad day, if they get broke, if we lose, it's not his fault, it's the teams. Obviously we lost together. And then, yeah, I mean Santi, me and Santi, actually in my opinion we did serve good, but in that situation they came up with some good returns. They made us play a few more balls than they had been because we were going through our service games quite comfortably. I think Santi, I think he got broke. I think he got broke once it was at the second set, because we went five to down.
Speaker 1:Okay, that's what it was. Yeah, yeah, I think the first set there was a deuce point, yeah, he held.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he held from 1540 down.
Speaker 2:And he came up with some good serves. But then obviously in the second set they start to read his server a little bit more, they take a few more chances. I think Evan hit a big, big return down the line at some stage, massive forehand. I think he cheated over a few more times to cover the they out wide serve on Santi and then obviously maybe the situation where is the balls were getting old because the the court here is cheering the balls up pretty bad, so they served to slow down. So maybe that was towards the end of seven games where maybe it was the last game he was serving. But yeah, they were a tricky team. We didn't have much information on them because they're kind of new to this level.
Speaker 2:I've known Evan for a long time from college tennis as well, but restyled I obviously haven't seen too much of him. But I know he's dangerous. I know what he's capable of. He had a good win at Wimbledon this year, beating Glasspool and Mahou. So we needed to kind of make sure we were ready.
Speaker 2:I thought we came at the blocks pretty well, but then obviously Santi got broke, and it was. We broke back pretty quickly afterwards because it could have could have got tricky with going into a third set with them with, obviously, the tails up, confidence, belief. So yeah, it was. It was great to get that, that break back and then go into a second set tiebreak where we got a great lead. I think we went up 6-1. They started to come back and then things started to get a little bit interesting. A great pick up from Santi at the 6-4 point I think it was to make Evan play another ball, and then I finished it off with the volley. So it was nice to win that point because obviously, having five match points and not taking them, it could have got tricky and if they had a one, that second set tiebreaker it was anyone's game.
Speaker 1:Did you review the video of that match afterwards?
Speaker 2:Is that? Something you sometimes do, but maybe not always yeah, I mean I haven't done this one because it's quite. It can be quite difficult to get the videos for ATP 250 online with the Grand Slams 1000 level and the 500 level.
Speaker 2:It's a little bit easier. It's a little bit easier to get the footage. I think that we can request the 250 level matches with the ATP. But there's something that we didn't do because we thought we actually played a good match. It's normally when we play a bad match, like we lost in the first week of the year at Adelaide to France and in Jebens Two big servers from Germany 7-6, 6-7, 10-8 wasn't the most ideal match to play our first match together because it was just based on a lot of serve and return. There wasn't many point situations, so it was quite a boring match. But it was something that we did look at to see if there was anything that we could work on. But yeah, it's normally when we play a match where we lose we look back at it and think what we could have done better. But every so often we will watch a match that we've won to see what we did well.
Speaker 1:So I know we're kind of running short on time, so just a couple more questions. Australian Open you made the mixed final with Dez. You all already have two Grand Slams together. A what makes Dez such a good mixed doubles player? I know she's got, I think, four Grand Slams. I think two more with Joe Salisbury and then B what do you do differently in mixed doubles versus men's?
Speaker 2:Why is Dez a good mixed doubles partner? I think it's because she picks good partners. That's probably the main reason she's very lucky. No, I'm not joking. No, dez is great. She's great to be around on and off the court. She plays great doubles. She's fiery. She's a good doubles player. Volley's well. She's got a tricky serve. She's got an amazing back end. I think her back ends better than mine. And yeah, you don't want to get into her on the court with Dez. She's a fiery character, especially when one of the guys tries to hit her with a ball or they say come on at a strange time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it seemed like Zelensky was kind of in to it a little bit.
Speaker 2:But then, yeah, it was good. I like when, obviously, dez is like that, I feel like she plays a lot better. So then, yeah, she obviously won four Grand Slamms. It was unfortunate we couldn't get the Australian Open for her, because she would have had the full set of Grand Slamms then it would have been nice for her. But yeah, we're going to play French Open and Wimbledon together. We've already got that confirmed. It was nice to get that out of the way so you don't have to worry about that. Going closer to the event, I know some people I think Zelensky and Shea. They only just signed up a couple of minutes before going on, before the deadline.
Speaker 1:Yeah, she can win with anybody though.
Speaker 2:Well, she didn't win with me a few years ago. No, no, she's very good, At least for the past year she wins with everybody. Yeah, she's been. I think she took a year off and then she's come back and she's got up to rankings very quickly. She's very good and she's very deceptive on the tennis court. But yeah, I'm looking forward to getting back in court with Des at the French and then try and get another title at Wimbledon.
Speaker 1:So we've got three more questions. Do you have five minutes? Yeah, that's fine. You're good, I always so. Your brother, ken, is coaching you. How does that relationship work, as brothers and then also as coach and student, I guess?
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean it's pretty easy. I mean Ken, he retired at Wimbledon 18 months ago now, something like that, I think it was 18 months ago. I mean he's basically been my coach nearly all my life, so it's pretty easy transition from him playing, from him playing doubles with me for six, seven years and now just being in the coaching role with him not playing tennis at all. But he's been great he's. Obviously it's different from being a tennis player transitioning to a coach. It's taken him a little bit of time kind of get that role, but he seems to be enjoying it. We get along very well on off the court. We don't really fight, which is nice. I know some, I know brothers can, obviously they can fight from a very young age, but we haven't really done that. But yeah, he's enjoying it. We're working towards trying to get back to the top of the obviously the top of the rankings, and play well with Santi. But yeah, we're putting the work in and it seems to be going well so far.
Speaker 1:If I asked Ken something that you're great at and then something that you need to improve over the next, say, year or two, what do you think he would say? As?
Speaker 2:in my tennis game.
Speaker 2:Yeah, let's stick with your tennis game. Yeah, what would I need to work on? I mean, over the last probably year, we've been working a lot on my returns. I mean, I return well, but that's probably a massive part of doubles and it's something that we look back on over the at the end of the year to see what we can improve from the stats and there's definitely things that we can get better on the return winning, trying to win more points on second serve returns. I was quite low last year, so we're working on that and trying to get more balls and play on first serve. So that was probably that's one thing that we're trying to improve and one thing that I'm good at no-transcript Listening, being quite open to new ideas. But he may have a totally different answer, so you'd have to ask him yourself.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'd love to get him on the podcast and ask him that. So last question for you how do we make doubles more popular? How do we make doubles?
Speaker 2:more popular. Ooh, I think we need to maybe shorten it a little bit, maybe less time at the change of ends, I think.
Speaker 1:So would you get rid of the changeover?
Speaker 2:break. No, I still think you need a changeover, but maybe shorten it to. I think it's a minute and a half at the moment.
Speaker 1:Okay, so shorten the break, but you still switch.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you still switch, maybe a minute, I think. Maybe fans can interact by walking in and out of stadiums, not waiting for the change of ends to come in.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I love that one.
Speaker 2:Walk around freely. I think, try and get the ATP to get on there. Social media is a little bit more. Promote us, but it is difficult. They obviously doubles. Plays aren't great with the Instagram algorithm but yeah, we're working on it, trying to get as much publicity as possible. Yeah, I think fan engagement is gonna be the most key thing for trying to grow doubles.
Speaker 1:Awesome. Neil, thanks a ton for coming on. I appreciate the time. No thanks for having me.