British tennis star Neal Skupski has shared the heart-wrenching news that he learned of his grandmother’s passing immediately after securing a victory in his opening doubles match at Wimbledon.
The 34-year-old from Liverpool, an ardent supporter of Liverpool FC, was already reeling from the tragic news of Diogo Jota’s fatal car accident in Spain earlier that day. Skupski, alongside his partner Joe Salisbury, had just triumphed over British duo Jacob Fearnley and Charles Broom with a scoreline of 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 when he received the sombre update about his grandmother.
Skupski, visibly moved, told reporters: “I found out this morning that Jota had passed away, and then I just found out my nan has just passed today as well. So yeah, it’s been a very tough day.”
He paid tribute to his late grandmother, saying: “She was 98 – she was a fighter, she’d been a little bit ill for a while.”
Despite anticipating the loss, the timing struck him hard: “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.”
Describing his bond with his grandmother Mary, Skupski noted she was the grandparent he felt closest to during his upbringing and believed: “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.”
Earlier, Skupski had also spoken about the shock of losing one of his footballing heroes, stating: “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.”
The tragic demise of Jota, 28, along with his brother Andre Silva in a horrific car accident en route to a ferry bound for England has left the sporting world in mourning.
Ken Skupski, who had the fortune of meeting the footballer during an event at Liverpool FC’s training ground, fondly remembered him as “not just an amazing footballer, but an incredible person – so down to earth – someone who kept the dressing room running smoothly”.
Skupski, grappling with the loss, contemplated marking his respect with a black armband during his match but ultimately decided against it, noting: “Maybe in the next couple of days.”
Joe Salisbury bestowed accolades on his partner’s performance in light of the tragedy, stating: “Neil’s done a great job – most people wouldn’t really know.”
For Salisbury, the grind of the game was tempered by a poignant sense of reality: “Once you step on court, you try and focus, but this really puts things in perspective.”
Finding solace in his sport, Skupski spoke about how taking to the tennis court aids him through grief, expressing: “Walking on to the tennis court is only going to help me – there’s more to life than missing tennis shots.”