Rajeev Ram has announced his retirement from tennis following his appearance at the 2026 US Open.
Ram is a doubles icon and he played his final time at Flushing Meadows alongside Britain’s Joe Salisbury.
They were beaten in the semifinals of the Grand Slam by Tim Putz and Kevin Krawietz and Ram has subsequently brought his illustrious career to an end.
The American, aged 42 years old, won four Grand Slam titles, including three US Open crowns, which helped him reach the summit of the ATP Tour in doubles in 2022.
Taking to social media to confirm the news, Ram wrote: “All good things must come to an end, and with a whole host of emotions that I say goodbye to my playing career.
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“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.”
As well as four Grand Slam titles in doubles, Ram also claimed two mixed doubles Grand Slam titles at the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021, both alongside Barbora Krejčíková.
Ram also claimed two Olympic silver medals, in Paris and Rio, alongside Venus Williams and Austin Krajicek.
Williams was full of praise for Ram following their run to the final of the Paris Olympics in 2024.
“With Serena, I expect to win — I’ve got to be honest,” she said of her younger sister, with whom she won three of those golds. We [her and Ram] had no idea how we were going to play together, so the emotion is almost even bigger because … you don’t know what to expect. It’s a wild feeling.”
“To feel what I feel with Serena with someone else, I never thought that would happen,” she said, which in many ways i the ultimate praise for the departing doubles icon.
