In the US Open mixed doubles final on Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday, Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik overcame Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli 6-3, 1-6, 10-6 to clinch the title and secure their first Grand Slam victory as a team.
The Czech duo started quickly, with Mensik's powerful serves sealing the opening set with an ace on set point, wrapping up the 6-3 win in under 30 minutes.
In the second set, Bencic responded with a return winner to break serve and take a 3-1 lead. The Swiss player then leveled the match when her forehand clipped the net and landed beyond Muchova's reach.
Entering the decisive 10-point tie-break, Mensik's strong serving and sharp net play gave the Czech pair the edge. The 20-year-old produced a confident volley to move ahead 8-4, before Muchova delivered her best serve of the match to bring up championship points. Mensik finished with another ace and celebrated exuberantly as they lifted their first trophy at the season's final Grand Slam.
Earlier, Muchova and Mensik had saved two match points against Russian pair Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev in the semifinals to reach the final.
“I think the matching outfits finally made the difference for us,” Muchova said during the trophy ceremony. “I didn't really expect to be standing here tonight. We went out just to have fun and enjoy this mixed doubles, and now here we are. So we must have done something right. I think this is a great start to the US Open for all of us.”
This year's mixed doubles event featured 16 pairs, starting Tuesday, in the second year of a new format. The format brings together top singles players to attract larger crowds in the week before the main singles draw begins. Notable pairings included Novak Djokovic partnering with Aryna Sabalenka, and Carlos Alcaraz teaming up with Serena Williams.
