Former LSU Tiger Neal Skupski will be a lion for Great Britain in the Olympics once again.
Skupski has been selected as part of the seven-member British tennis team heading to Paris next month for the Olympics. Skupski will partner with Joe Salisbury in men’s doubles.
Skupski is the ninth former LSU athlete to officially qualify for Paris so far. He was a four-time All-American with the Tigers from 2008-12.
This will be the second straight Olympics for the 34-year old Skupski, a native of Liverpool, England. He and Jamie Murray paired up in the Tokyo Olympics three years ago, going out in the second round.
Skupski has had an impressive string of successes since then, reaching No. 1 in the world in 2022 with partner Wesley Koolhof of The Netherlands.
Skupski has three Grand Slam titles, winning the Wimbledon mixed doubles titles in 2021 and 2022 with American Desirae Krawczyk and the 2023 Wimbledon men’s doubles title with Koolhof. Skupski and Krawczyk reached the mixed doubles final this year at the Australian Open and the French Open and are expected to compete together again at Wimbledon this year.
Despite their Wimbledon championship this past July, Skupksi and Koolhof split up in late 2023. They would not have been able to compete with each other in Paris, anyway, because they represent different countries.
The Olympic tennis tournament is July 27-Aug. 4 at Roland Garros, site of the French Open. The men’s doubles bronze medal match is Aug. 2 and the gold medal match is Aug. 3.
LSU, Louisiana athletes qualified for Paris Olympics
Athletics
Mondo Duplantis (pole vault), Sweden
3x3 Basketball
Hailey Van Lith, USA
Beach volleyball
Kristen Nuss and Taryn Kloth, USA
Gymnastics
Aleah Finnegan, The Philippines
Swimming
Maggie Mac Neil, Canada
Jere Hribar, Croatia
Jovan Lekic, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Tennis
Neal Skupski, (men’s doubles), Great Britain
U.S. Olympic trials
Swimming: Through June 23, Indianapolis
Diving: Through June 23, Knoxville, Tennessee
Track and field: Friday-June 30, Eugene, Oregon
Gymnastics: June 27-30, Minneapolis