STARNBERG, September 14, 2026
Austria is set to have a new doubles team with big ambitions. Lucas Miedler and Neil Oberleitner will join forces on the ATP Tour and at Grand Slam tournaments, with a clear long-term goal: to establish themselves among the best teams in the world by the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and compete for an Olympic medal for Austria.
Their first appearance together could come as early as next week. Miedler and Oberleitner have both been named in Austria’s squad for the Davis Cup tie against Belgium on September 18 and 19 at the Wiener Athletiksport Club. After that, the pair are scheduled to begin their regular tour partnership at the ATP 500 event in Tokyo, Japan.
For Miedler, currently ranked No. 24 in the world in doubles, the partnership marks the beginning of a new chapter. The 30-year-old has been a fixture among the international doubles elite for several years and has repeatedly shown that he can challenge for major titles with different partners. His achievements include two victories at the ATP 500 event in Vienna, in 2022 and 2024, as well as a run to the semi-finals of the ATP Masters 1000 in Paris in 2025.
Now, the Lower Austrian wants to combine his experience with that of his long-time friend Oberleitner and build a partnership for the long term.
“Neil and I have known each other for a long time. We already won a Futures tournament together in 2020. Since he started focusing on doubles, he has developed extremely well. I’m convinced that we have a lot of potential as a team in the long term. The goal has to be to break into the world’s top eight by 2028 and compete for a medal for Austria at the Olympics,” Miedler said.
Oberleitner Riding a Steep Rise
Oberleitner also enters the new partnership with plenty of momentum. The 27-year-old Vienna native has climbed as high as No. 41 in the doubles rankings this season. His highlights include reaching the quarter-finals of the French Open and, most recently, winning his first ATP 250 title in Winston-Salem, USA.
The partnership with Miedler is anything but unfamiliar territory for Oberleitner. The two already played together on the Futures circuit before the pandemic, reaching two finals and winning one of them.
What began as a successful partnership at the lower levels of the game will now become a full-time team on the biggest stages of professional tennis.
“Luci is one of my best friends on tour. He also brings a lot of experience and knows what it takes to win titles. When he asked me if we wanted to play together as a team, it was clear to me that I wanted to take this opportunity,” Oberleitner said.
“Playing together has a lot of advantages for both of us. We have known each other for a very long time, we spend a lot of time together off the court and we can train together throughout the year.”
With their partnership, the two Austrians are deliberately opting for continuity and a long-term vision. Tokyo at the end of September is set to mark the beginning of their new life together on tour, while the ultimate destination is already firmly in their sights: Los Angeles 2028 and the chance to compete for Olympic glory in Austrian colours.
