Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka were knocked out of the US Open mixed doubles tournament after losing their opening match to Henry Patten and Katerina Siniakova in New York. The top-seeded pair made a strong start but failed to close out the contest, eventually going down 1-4, 4-2, 10-2.
Djokovic and Sabalenka won the opening set in just 12 minutes, but Patten and Siniakova quickly changed the momentum. The British-Czech combination recovered to take the second set before dominating the deciding super tie-break.
The result ended the much-anticipated partnership between two of the biggest names in singles tennis after just one match.
Djokovic-Sabalenka start strongly
Djokovic and Sabalenka appeared comfortable from the beginning and raced through the opening set 4-1. Their aggressive play helped them establish an early advantage, with the set lasting only 12 minutes.
They also moved ahead early in the second set, but Siniakova and Patten refused to let the match slip away. The pair gradually found their rhythm and won four of the next games to take the set 4-2.
With the match tied, the outcome was decided by a super tie-break.
Patten-Siniakova dominate decider
The deciding phase proved one-sided. Patten and Siniakova quickly established control and eventually won the super tie-break 10-2.
The victory was particularly notable because both Siniakova and Patten are highly accomplished doubles players. Their experience in the format helped them handle the crucial moments despite Djokovic and Sabalenka having the stronger singles profiles.
Djokovic is a 24-time Grand Slam singles champion, while Sabalenka entered the tournament as the two-time defending US Open women's singles champion.
Star names attracted to new format
The mixed doubles competition has been redesigned to bring more leading singles players into the event. The tournament is played over two days ahead of the main singles draw and uses a shortened scoring format.
Djokovic and Sabalenka were seeded No. 1 based on their combined singles rankings. However, their first-round defeat was not regarded as a major upset given the specialist doubles credentials of their opponents.
The tournament carries a $1 million prize for the winning team.
Svitolina-Monfils reach semifinals
While Djokovic and Sabalenka departed early, husband-and-wife duo Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils advanced to the semifinals.
The pair defeated Siniakova and Patten in the quarterfinals, winning 5-4 (6), 4-5 (3), 10-8. They will now face Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli for a place in the final.
Svitolina and Monfils have both previously reached the US Open singles semifinals. Monfils made the last four in 2016, while Svitolina reached the semifinals in 2019.
Two matches from US Open title
Svitolina and Monfils married in 2021 and are now just two victories away from winning the US Open mixed doubles title together.
The other semifinal will feature Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik against Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev.
With several high-profile singles players competing under the revamped mixed doubles format, the event has provided a different dimension to the US Open ahead of the main singles competition.
