US Open semifinalists Robert Cash and JJ Tracy take their momentum on the road

Robert Cash and JJ Tracy’s fairytale run at the US Open may have ended in the semifinals, but the American duo is just getting started after their Grand Slam breakthrough.

At Flushing Meadows, they toppled veteran teams including Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori, Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni on their way to the semifinals, where they fell to Roland Garros champions Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in three sets. They were aiming to become the only all-American men’s doubles team this century to win the title besides the Bryan brothers.

Now the pair is ready to bounce back in Hangzhou, where they’re seeded at an ATP 250 event for the first time.

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“It was a terrific run. It was special the whole way,” Cash told Tennis.com in New York. “It adds fuel to the fire that we couldn't get over the finish line, but it was a great experience.”

“This whole week shows that we're right there with the top players, and no doubt we'll be back,” Tracy added.

The duo captured fans’ attention not just with their tennis, chemistry, and ability to fire up the American crowd, but also with their unusual path to the pros.

Cash, 24, and Tracy, 23, first teamed up at Ohio State University. Neither had plans to pursue a pro career—Cash was set on medical school—until they won the NCAA doubles title in 2024. That breakthrough led to wild cards at the ATP 250 in Newport, where they reached their first final, and the US Open, where they won a round in their Grand Slam debut. From there, the decision to turn pro together was clear.

It’s a rare case of college players specializing in doubles straight away. Neither plays singles regularly: Cash hasn’t competed in singles since 2023, while Tracy occasionally entered qualifying at ATP Challengers before focusing exclusively on doubles in 2025. So far it's paying off, with Cash and Tracy claiming their first ATP title in Los Cabos in the build-up to the Open.

“We don't want to look too far in the future,” Cash said. “But it's exciting to think where we can be in a month and six months and a year from now.

“This is our second US Open ever, and we got to the semifinals. We’re very proud of this, but not satisfied for sure.”

Their run was one of the standout doubles storylines in New York, highlighting both the appetite for the format and the sport’s struggle to showcase it. Increasingly, doubles spotlights come at exhibition-style events—from Hopman Cup to the Laver Cup—where singles stars dabble rather than doubles specialists taking center stage.

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Cash and Tracy weren’t eligible for the US Open mixed doubles draw, which was based on singles rankings and wild card selections, but they kept a close eye on it.

“We're excited with where doubles is going,” Cash explained. “I mean, in mixed doubles, it filled the entire Arthur Ashe Stadium. That was awesome to see.”

Outside-the-box thinking, like the revamped mixed competition, may be what doubles needs more of as tennis seeks to breathe new life into the discipline. During the men’s doubles final in Flushing Meadows, ESPN notably conducted a live interview with Granollers and Zeballos in between the second and third sets against Neil Skupski and Joe Salisbury—proving that the players are up for the challenge, too.

For Cash and Tracy, all the increased attention and momentum has carried over to their own doubles matches.

“We had a couple matches with completely full stands,” Cash recalled. “The energy was through the roof. It was awesome. So that gives us a lot of hope and promise for the future.

“Doubles is high energy, it's fast paced, and I think people can really relate to doubles. I'm excited to see where doubles continues.”

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In the meantime, their own journey continues in Hangzhou, where the No. 2 seeds will open against Tomas Martin Etcheverry and Camilo Ugo Carabelli.

Main draw singles action begins Wednesday, September 17, streaming on Tennis Channel.

Additional reporting by David Kane.