Swiatek-Ruud Enter US Open Mixed Doubles Final After Thriller.
On a rain-soaked Wednesday at Arthur Ashe Stadium, the mixed doubles semifinals of the US Open produced edge-of-the-seat action. Top seeds Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud battled past the No. 3 pair Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper 3-5, 5-3, [10-8] to secure a place in the final.
They will now face defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori for the title later in the day, with $1 million in prize money on the line.
Semifinal Showdown
Pegula and Draper struck first, taking the opening set 5-3 after a series of tight rallies. Swiatek and Ruud regrouped in the second, breaking through with a 5-3 win to level the match.
The contest went down to a decisive 10-point tiebreak, a new feature at the US Open mixed doubles event. Trailing 8-4 after a double fault from Swiatek, the top seeds mounted a stunning comeback, winning six straight points to seal the victory 10-8.
Afterward, Ruud joked, “I’m gonna eat a little bit. I’m a little hungry. It was longer than Iga’s normal singles matches.”
Road to the Final
The revamped mixed doubles format—aimed at attracting top singles players—has drawn both excitement and criticism. Errani and Vavassori, who voiced displeasure with the changes, were given a wild card but powered through their semifinal, beating Danielle Collins and Christian Harrison 4-2, 4-2.
The Italian duo now aim to become the first repeat US Open mixed doubles champions since Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Jamie Murray (2018-19).
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