Errani and Vavassori successfully defend US Open mixed doubles crown against Swiatek and Ruud
Italian duo Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori captured their second consecutive US Open mixed doubles championship on Wednesday, defeating the formidable pairing of Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud 6-3, 5-7, 10-6 at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The thrilling final showcased the tournament's innovative format that attracted several elite singles competitors to the mixed doubles competition.
Despite requiring a wild card entry due to the competition's emphasis on singles rankings rather than doubles expertise, the seasoned Italian partnership demonstrated superior court chemistry and tactical awareness against their less experienced opponents. The Polish-Norwegian combination of Swiatek and Ruud, making their debut as a team this season, showed flashes of brilliance but ultimately couldn't match the defending champions' doubles prowess.
The atmosphere reached fever pitch when Vavassori sealed the victory with a devastating forehand winner, immediately lifting Errani in celebration as the capacity crowd erupted. Their triumph earned the duo a substantial $1 million prize purse, highlighting the tournament's commitment to elevating the profile of doubles tennis.
"We are doing something in these two years amazing," said Vavassori, who previously partnered with Errani to claim the French Open mixed doubles title earlier this season. "We showed today that doubles is a great product."
The match began with Errani and Vavassori asserting early dominance, racing to a commanding 3-0 advantage in the opening set. However, six-time Grand Slam singles champion Swiatek showcased her exceptional shot-making ability, breaking back with a precisely executed volley in the seventh game. The momentum shift proved temporary as Swiatek's double fault handed the initiative back to the Italians, who secured another crucial break in the eighth game before Vavassori closed out the set with an unreturnable serve.
The second set witnessed a dramatic reversal of fortunes. While the defending champions initially maintained their advantage with a break in the seventh game, Ruud and Swiatek demonstrated remarkable resilience. The duo leveled proceedings in the tenth game and forced a deciding set when Swiatek unleashed a stunning backhand winner in the twelfth game.
The championship tiebreak began favorably for the Italians, who established a 4-0 cushion and maintained their composure despite their opponents' spirited comeback attempt. Another untimely double fault from Swiatek ultimately sealed the victory for Errani and Vavassori.
"We pushed to the end, we tried to make it competitive," said Swiatek, reflecting on the defeat at the same venue where she claimed her US Open singles championship three years prior.
Tournament organizers implemented a revolutionary format for this year's mixed doubles competition, scheduling matches during the week preceding the main singles draw. The field comprised eight entries determined by combined singles rankings alongside eight wild card selections. This strategic scheduling decision proved remarkably successful from a marketing perspective, attracting a star-studded field featuring Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic among other tennis luminaries.
However, the format modification sparked controversy within the doubles community, with critics arguing it unfairly disadvantaged veteran doubles specialists who were excluded based on their singles rankings. Despite these concerns, fan engagement reached unprecedented levels, with hundreds of spectators queuing in adverse weather conditions outside Arthur Ashe Stadium ninety minutes before the semi-final matches commenced on Wednesday.
"Playing with all these people is something incredible for us," said Errani, acknowledging the electric atmosphere. "This one is for all the doubles players who couldn't play this tournament."
The success of this experimental format raises intriguing questions about the future direction of mixed doubles at major tournaments, balancing the desire to attract mainstream attention with preserving opportunities for doubles specialists.
SportsLigue