Kevin Krawietz and Tim Pütz lose US Open final as Pütz weighs tour retirement

Defeat in Arthur Ashe Stadium

German doubles pair Kevin Krawietz and Tim Pütz lost the men's doubles final at the US Open on Saturday, falling 4-6, 6-7 (6-8) to Great Britain's Neal Skupski and American Christian Harrison. Contested inside Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, the match saw only a single break of serve across two sets. The German duo missed an early chance to break at 2-1 in the opening set when Pütz sent a volley into the net. Harrison and Skupski capitalized at 3-3, securing the decisive break through a Harrison backhand winner against Krawietz's serve before serving out the set 6-4. In the second set, neither team dropped serve, pushing the contest into a tie-break where Krawietz and Pütz held a set point on Pütz's serve at 6-5 but could not convert, allowing the British-American pair to win the title without dropping a single set across the entire tournament.

Pütz considers tour retirement

Following the trophy presentation, 38-year-old Pütz addressed his future and stated that the defeat could lead to the conclusion of his full-time career on tour. The Frankfurt native explained that he is moving closer to retirement, although the decision is not yet finalized. Pütz cited his age and family commitments as the primary factors, noting that he wants to spend more time with his family after years of dedicating himself to the sport. During the on-court ceremony, he delivered a personal greeting to his children at home and expressed his desire to return soon.

There is a good chance that I will not play full-time next year and Kevin will have to find a new partner.

I have sacrificed many years of my life for tennis. We as a family have sacrificed a lot of time. Now we slowly have the feeling that we have sacrificed enough time and I want to be at home.

Partnership status and reaction

Krawietz confirmed that discussions regarding Pütz's potential retirement have been ongoing within the team and will not harm their friendship. The 34-year-old explained that if Pütz reduces his tournament schedule, he will search for a new full-time doubles partner for upcoming seasons. Both players emphasized that their personal and athletic connection remains solid despite the impending change. For reaching the championship match in New York, the German pair collected a runner-up prize of $500,000, which corresponds to approximately €431,000.

If Pützi says at some point that he is no longer playing a full calendar and only a reduced one, then I will look for a new partner.

Doubles history and upcoming action

The defeat is the second time Krawietz and Pütz have finished as runners-up at Flushing Meadows, following their 4-6, 6-7 (4-7) loss to Australians Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson in 2024. The duo, who began competing together in early 2023, achieved their biggest joint victory at the 2024 ATP Finals. Individually, Krawietz won two French Open men's doubles titles with Andreas Mies in 2019 and 2020, while Pütz won the 2023 French Open mixed doubles title with Japan's Miyu Kato. Philipp Petzschner remains the only German man to win a US Open doubles title, having done so in 2011 alongside Austria's Jürgen Melzer. German attention in New York now shifts to Alexander Zverev, who faces American Ben Shelton on Sunday evening in the men's singles final.