NEW YORK (AP) — Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori defended their U.S. Open mixed doubles title Wednesday night, keeping a traditional team on top of a revamped event filled with singles stars.
The Italians beat No. 3 seeds Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud 6-3, 5-7 (10-6), winning four matches over two days to earn $1 million— a huge raise over their earnings in New York last year in a format that looked nothing like this one.
Errani and Vavassori were among the many critics of the changes to the event that shut out every other traditional doubles pairing, but had nothing but smiles — and plenty of hugs — after building a quick lead in the match tiebreaker and holding on in front of a large crowd inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“I think it was amazing to play in this court with so many people and I have to say thanks from the bottom of my heart for the atmosphere,” Vavassori said before receiving the trophy.
It was one rarely enjoyed by doubles players and what U.S. Open organizers sought when they overhauled their tournament, moving it to well before singles play starts Sunday in hopes that tennis' best-known players would play.
Many of them did. But in the end, the event belonged to the doubles specialists.
Errani and Vavassori weren’t even sure they would get to defend their titles. Eight teams in the 16-team field qualified by their players’ combined singles rankings, with the remaining teams given wild cards.
The Italians were awarded one and became the first repeat mixed doubles champions in Flushing Meadows since Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Jamie Murray in 2018-19.
They repeatedly said they were representing the many doubles players who never had the chance to come to New York with them this year.
“I think this one is also for them,” Errani said.
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