Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool made history Thursday afternoon by becoming the first all-British men’s doubles team to reach the Wimbledon final in 65 years, defeating fourth seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos 6-3, 6-4 on No.1 Court.
The fifth-seeded British pair’s dominant display sets up a championship match against unseeded duo Rinky Hijikata of Australia and David Pel of the Netherlands on Saturday, with Cash and Glasspool bidding to become the first British winners of the men’s doubles title since Pat Hughes and Raymond Tuckey triumphed in 1936.
“It’s been a fantastic day,” Cash said following their semi-final victory. “We absolutely loved going out on No.1 Court to a packed crowd. Our family and friends were there, we’ve loved the day and it’s nice to come through a match unscathed. We’re ready for what’s next – we’re looking forward to Saturday.”
Riding Unprecedented Momentum
The British duo entered The Championships on a remarkable run of form, having captured consecutive titles at the HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club and the Lexus Eastbourne Open. Their semi-final victory extended their winning streak to 13 matches and improved their grass-court record to an impressive 16-1 this year.
Cash and Glasspool needed just over an hour to dispatch the Roland Garros champions, demonstrating the clinical form that has characterised their grass-court campaign. The 31-year-old Glasspool set the tone early with three aces in the opening game, whilst the pair proved particularly effective on return, winning 53 per cent of points on their opponents’ second serves.
“Everything went to plan and went our way, but I do think we still have a few more things we can iron out and mistakes we can get rid of,” Glasspool said, maintaining focus ahead of Saturday’s final.
Historic British Achievement
The last all-British pairing to reach the Wimbledon men’s doubles final was Mike Davies and Bobby Wilson in 1960, when they fell to Rafael Osuna and Dennis Ralston. No British team has won the title since Hughes and Tuckey’s victory 89 years ago, during an era when Fred Perry was dominating the singles event.
Cash and Glasspool’s achievement continues a strong British presence in Wimbledon men’s doubles in recent years, with Neal Skupski winning in 2023 and Henry Patten claiming the title in 2024. However, an all-British triumph would represent a significant milestone in the tournament’s storied history.
The Birmingham-born Glasspool, 31, and Cash, from Jersey, first partnered in August 2024 and have since captured five ATP Tour titles together. Their rapid rise has seen them climb to third in the ATP Live Doubles Teams Rankings, just 95 points behind defending champions Heliovaara and Patten.
Dramatic Path to the Final
The British pair’s journey to the final has featured several dramatic moments, none more so than their quarter-final victory over defending champions Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten. Serving at 5-6, 0-40 in the deciding set, Cash saved three consecutive match points with unreturned serves before Glasspool produced a sumptuous drop volley to keep their hopes alive.
“We have learned a lot about each other and what each other needs,” Cash explained. “The confidence that we have built, especially over this grass period, really helps in those moments and keeps us calmer than we normally would be.”
Their semi-final performance against Granollers and Zeballos was far more straightforward, breaking serve at 3-2 in the opening set after Glasspool and Cash produced back-to-back return winners. They maintained their momentum throughout, breaking early in the second set when Glasspool’s precise lob set up the opportunity.
Cinderella Story Opponents
Standing between Cash and Glasspool and Wimbledon glory are Hijikata and Pel, who have authored one of the tournament’s most remarkable stories. The pair entered the draw as third alternates and had never played together before last week, with Hijikata revealing they had not even spoken prior to the tournament.
Despite their unfamiliarity, the Australian-Dutch combination have saved match points in multiple rounds, including their stunning semi-final victory over top seeds Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic. They saved two match points at 7-9 in the deciding tiebreak, with Hijikata declaring he had “ice in his veins” after pulling off the upset.
For the 24-year-old Hijikata, who won the 2023 Australian Open doubles title with Jason Kubler, victory would make him the youngest active player to have won two Grand Slam doubles titles. Pel, seeking his first major title, won his only ATP Tour trophy at Bastad in 2021.
Centre Court Awaits
The final will take place on Centre Court on Saturday, preceding the women’s singles championship match. For Cash and Glasspool, the opportunity to compete on tennis’s most prestigious stage represents the culmination of their exceptional grass-court campaign.
It’s what any Brit dreams of – it’d be a dream come true wouldn’t it?” Cash said of playing on Centre Court. “Unbelievable court, probably best in the world, in front of all my friends and family. They don’t get to travel much and see me play that much so to do it in front of them would mean a lot for me and a lot to them.
The British pair believe home support could prove crucial, with Glasspool adding: “I think it’s going to help us a lot, having that crowd behind us. There’s no place that would mean more than here for sure.”
Preparation and Pressure
As they prepare for the biggest match of their careers, Cash and Glasspool plan a measured approach to the final, focusing on rest and tactical refinement rather than extensive practice.
“Definitely a lot of maintenance, resting, re-setting,” they explained. “Working a few things, sharpen up a few things, tactically, working on things that we’re going to have to put in place in the final, but it’ll be quite light – lots of physio work, getting the body and mind ready to go again.”
Cash acknowledged the off-court challenges too, joking: “I think we’ve got to try and sort out the tickets for friends and family. I haven’t looked at the phone yet, but it’s going to be a lot of messages. Today was already pretty tricky to figure out so it’s not going to be easy.”
With British tennis enjoying a golden period in doubles and the nation awaiting its first home men’s doubles champions at Wimbledon in nearly nine decades, all eyes will be on Centre Court when Cash and Glasspool attempt to write their names into the history books on Saturday.
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Image Credit:
Lloyd Glasspool – Image by si.robi, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
