Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek was gracious enough to accept that the mixed doubles players are smarter following her defeat in the final against the pairing of Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori. Swiatek and Casper Ruud cruised to the final before being underwhelmed by the mixed doubles specialist pair 6-3, 5-7, 10-6.
The US Open organizers have gone out of the norm and arranged a special mixed doubles tournament for this year to ensure that the top singles players participate and attract popularity. However, Errani and Vavassori proved that this is a different event that’s not easy for even top singles players to fathom.
After the match, Iga Swiatek spoke highly of the doubles specialist while giving a shout-out to Errani and Vavassori for proving that. She said:
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“First of all congrats to Sara and Andrea. Fully deserved. You proved that mixed doubles players are smarter tactically than singles players 😂. We pushed to the end. We tried to make it competitive. It was a pleasure to share the court with you.”
After the match, Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori took their turns to shift the focus back to the conventional doubles pairing. Errani dedicated her doubles victory to those who missed out on this year's US Open due to the special arrangement of the tournament. She said:
“I think this one is for all the doubles players that couldn’t play this tournament. I think this one is also for them.”
Meanwhile, Vavassori said that, like the singles event, the doubles matches also need a different skill set and more marketing. He said:
“We showed today that doubles is a great product. I think in the future we need more marketing and visibility. I think this product is something that can also work in the future. It was amazing to play on this court with so many people. I have to say thanks from the bottom of my heart for the atmosphere.”
When the tournament started two days ago, Iga Swiatek and Ruud were seeded third. They grabbed headlines after they upset top-seeded Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper, clinching the match in a tense deciding tiebreak.
Iga Swiatek gives a shout-out to Casper Ruud for partnering with her in the US Open mixed doubles
Moments after the final on Wednesday, August 20, Iga Swiatek shared a heartfelt message to her doubles partner, Casper Ruud, on Instagram. She put focus on their partnership, writing:
"What a ride. Thank you so much Casper Ruud for being the best and most supportive partner in these last two days. I had so much fun."
After falling short in the finals, the duo will focus on their individual singles draws at Flushing Meadows.
