Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury extended their legacy on the circuit, revalidating the Nitto ATP Finals pairs title to end the 2023 season in style. invincible kingdom, where they have not lost a game in the last two editions.
The reigning champions put up a strong performance to defeat Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 6-3, 6-4, who are looking to climb to world No. 1 at the end of the year with the Turin trophy. Perfectly balanced in their third consecutive final, the Anglo-American pair found the keys to accelerate to victory in 69 minutes without surrendering a turn of serve.
In a final pure reflexes, the sixth seeds grabbed the serve of Granollers to mark the differences. A service game from the Catalan in each set was enough to open the wide score, leaving a final dominated by one of the most experienced couples in the locker room decided.
Ram and Salisbury are the first pairing to retain the Nitto ATP Finals crown since Henri Kontinen and John Peers won back-to-back titles in 2016-17. Only three male couples have achieved the feat in the season finale event in the 21st Century (also Mike Bryan/Bob Bryan in 2003-04).
At the tight end of the season in the elite of the modality, with up to five couples fighting in Turin to occupy the top at the end of 2023, the Croatian Ivan Dodig and the American Austin Krajicek got the Year-End ATP Doubles No. 1 presented by Pepperstone.
Ram and Salisbury put an end to an unforgettable 2023 season in their careers. The Anglo-American duo closed a course full of exploits, with a total of four trophies, including their fourth mayor in hand, becoming the first couple in the Open Era to win three consecutive US Open titles.
Granollers and Zeballos completed a stellar season on the ATP Tour, with a record of 39-19 and a constant presence in the fight for major tournaments, including their third Grand Slam final as a couple at Wimbledon, the semifinals of the Australian Open and Roland Garros or his fifth ATP Masters 1000 trophy in Shanghai.
In addition, Granollers became the first Spanish man to reach multiple finals in a season finale event as a pair (2012 with Marc López). For his part, Zeballos is the first Argentine to play in the title match of the Nitto ATP Finals and is one step away from becoming the first South American doubles player to win the trophy.
