The sixth-seeded German pair defeated the three-time US Open champions 6–3, 6–4 on Thursday at Louis Armstrong Stadium, ending Ram and Salisbury's final run together at Flushing Meadows.
• Kevin Krawietz/Tim Pütz: 6–3, 6–4
• Rajeev Ram/Joe Salisbury: 3–6, 4–6
Krawietz and Pütz immediately put pressure on the former champions' service games, particularly when Ram and Salisbury were forced to rely on their second serves. The German pair broke in the first set and maintained control to take a 6–3 lead.
The second set followed a similar pattern. Ram and Salisbury created opportunities but could not convert them, while Krawietz and Pütz remained clinical on return to secure another break and close out the match 6–4. Match statistics showed Krawietz and Pütz won 40 per cent of the points on their opponents' first returns and converted both of their break-point opportunities.
For Ram, however, the result marked much more than the end of a tournament.
The 42-year-old was given an on-court retirement ceremony immediately after the match, bringing the curtain down on a career that established him as one of the most successful doubles players of his generation. The US Open confirmed that Ram had reunited with Salisbury for one final campaign before officially retiring from professional tennis.
Ram and Salisbury created one of the most remarkable partnerships in recent US Open history. They won the men's doubles title at Flushing Meadows for three consecutive years from 2021 to 2023, becoming the first team in the Open Era to achieve that feat at the tournament.
Their Grand Slam success also included the 2020 Australian Open, giving Ram four men's doubles Grand Slam titles with Salisbury. Their partnership became synonymous with consistency and success at the biggest tournaments.
Ram also collected two Olympic silver medals, including the men's doubles silver at Paris 2024 with Austin Krajicek, further underlining the longevity and quality of his career.
His final US Open appearance therefore ended in defeat, but it also provided a fitting farewell in front of the New York crowd. Ram and Salisbury embraced their opponents at the net before the American was honoured during an emotional retirement ceremony.
For Krawietz and Pütz, the victory sends them into the US Open men's doubles final, where they will continue their pursuit of another Grand Slam title. For Ram, Thursday's defeat marked the end of an era and the conclusion of a career that produced multiple major championships and a lasting place in doubles history.