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Joe Salisbury’s reaction after becoming the new No. 1 in doubles

British tennis star Joe Salisbury admitted reaching the No. 1 ranking felt surreal, adding it was a very special moment for him. After Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic lost in Miami’s second round, Salisbury were guaranteed to replace Pavic as the No. 1 seed to Miami.

On Sunday, Salisbury and his partner Rajeev Ram put in a fine performance to beat Feliciano Lopez and Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-5, 7-6 (2). Salisbury didn’t know he was meant to be the new No. 1 until he was told after his and Rams’ win.

“It seems a bit crazy to be honest. But yeah, so happy,” Salisbury said after the match on the ATP Tour website. “This week our focus is on doing as well as we can and trying to win this tournament in Miami.

But yes, obviously very satisfied. What we’ve done as a team with Rajeev, to now also be number 1 in the teams’ standings, is something very special.”

Salisbury was thrilled with the success he’s had with Ram

Salisbury and Ram won two titles in 2019 before claiming their first Grand Slam title as a duo at the 2020 Australian Open.

Last year, Salisbury and Ram clinched their second Grand Slam title after winning everything at the US Open. Salisbury and Ram had a strong summer last year, also winning everything at the Toronto Masters.

“It’s always been a goal,” Salisbury said of the No. 1 position. “I think we were more focused on winning tournaments as a team, winning Masters 1000s, winning Grand Slams.

But yeah, of course it’s amazing for us that we’re going to be number 1 in the tournaments. Being number 1 in the ranking is amazing. It’s a special moment.” Salisbury and Ram are yet to win titles in 2022, but they had some strong runs as they reached the semifinals at the Australian Open and Indian Wells.

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