3 July 2025, 22:41
HSBC Championships - Day Eight
Tennis player Neal Skupski was told his grandmother had died just moments after winning his opening-round doubles win at Wimbledon. Picture: Getty
By Flaminia Luck
Neal Skupski has revealed he was told his grandmother had died just moments after coming off court following his opening-round doubles win at Wimbledon.
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The 34-year-old Liverpudlian, who is a devoted Liverpool fan, had already been left shaken by the death of forward Diogo Jota in a car crash in Spain earlier on Thursday.
Skupski and partner Joe Salisbury had just battled past fellow Britons Jacob Fearnley and Charles Broom 6-3 3-6 6-3 when he was informed of his grandmother's death.
"I found out this morning that Jota had passed away, and then I just found out my nan has just passed today as well," he said.
"So yeah, it's been a very tough day.
"She was 98 - she was a fighter, she'd been a little bit ill for a while.
"We've known it was a matter of time for a few days now, but it was a bit tough to take once I found out when I came off court."
2025 French Open - Day Fourteen
2025 French Open - Day Fourteen. Picture: Getty
Skupski described his grandmother Mary as the grandparent he was closest to growing up and said: "She would've wanted me to be here and she'd be proud of me for what happened today, fighting through.
"It was just a bit tough to take when I found out when we got off court."
He had earlier spoken about how difficult it was to concentrate after reading about Jota's death on social media.
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He said: "You never think your heroes or sportsmen you look up to - you think they're invincible, but it just shows that everyone's human.
"It's really tough to take."
Jota, 28, and his brother Andre Silva were killed in a car crash while driving to catch a ferry to England.
Breaking news: Diogo Jota dies in car crash aged 28
Skupski, who met the striker during a visit to Liverpool FC's training base, described him as "not just an amazing footballer, but an incredible person - so down to earth - someone who kept the dressing room running smoothly".
Skupski said he had considered wearing a black armband during the match but chose not to. "Maybe in the next couple of days," he added.
Salisbury paid tribute to his teammate, saying: "Neil's done a great job - most people wouldn't really know.
"Once you step on court, you try and focus, but this really puts things in perspective."
Skupski said that playing helped him cope, adding: "Walking on to the tennis court is only going to help me - there's more to life than missing tennis shots."