“Matching outfits made the difference,” Muchová jokes after US Open triumph
The Czech tennis players Jakub Menšík and Karolína Muchová have won the mixed doubles title at the US Open, claiming their first Grand Slam title. The pair had only entered the tournament on a wild card – and earned a USD 1 million prize.
The victory comes just three days before the start of the US Open singles tournament, where Muchová will be seeded seventh and Menšík 17th. They secured the mixed doubles title after saving two match points in their semi-final against Andrey Rublev and Mirra Andreeva, before beating the fourth-seeded Italian-Swiss pairing of Flavio Cobolli and Belinda Bencic 6-3, 1-6, 10-6 in the final.
In the on-court interview during the award ceremony, Muchová said she had not expected to be standing there with the trophy:
“I think at the end, really, the matching outfits made a difference for us. I wasn’t really expecting to be standing here tonight. We came out just having fun and enjoyed these mixed doubles. And now we are standing here almost with a trophy soon. So I think we did something right. And thanks to Jakub for carrying me through this doubles event.”
The 30-year-old, who returned to competition after minor surgery in July, said the mixed doubles had been a good way to start the US Open and prepare for the singles tournament.
Menšík, who turns 21 next week, also said he had not expected the pair to go so far:
“It’s my first time standing here as well. I didn’t expect that coming before the tournament, but it’s such great fun. It was amazing to play and to start the US Open like that. Of course, the main event is starting next week, so it’s really great preparation. And like I said, I enjoyed every moment on the court.”
Menšík and Muchová made the better start, breaking in the fourth game to take the first set. Cobolli and Bencic responded in the second, winning five games in a row from 1-1 to force a super tie-break. The Czechs then took control, going 4-1 up and reaching match point at 9-6. Their opponents saved the first two match points, but Menšík sealed the win with an ace on the third.
The semi-final had been even more dramatic. After taking the first set against Rublev and Andreeva in a tie-break, the Czechs lost the second and fell 5-8 behind in the deciding super tie-break. They then faced two match points at 7-9, but Andreeva missed the first and Menšík saved the second with an ace. The Czechs won the final two points to reach the final.
The victory makes Menšík and Muchová the latest Czech players to win a Grand Slam mixed doubles title. Kateřina Siniaková won at Wimbledon last year with Dutchman Sem Verbeek, while Andrea Sestini Hlaváčková was a previous Czech US Open winner, taking the title with Max Mirnyi in 2013.
This year’s mixed doubles tournament used a shortened format, with sets going to four games and a super tie-break replacing the third set.
