Czech duo Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik captured the US Open mixed doubles title on August 26, defeating Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic and Italy’s Flavio Cobolli 6-3, 1-6, 10-6 at Arthur Ashe Stadium. This victory marked the pair’s first Grand Slam trophy together.

The match began with Muchova and Mensik taking control in the opening set, aided by Mensik’s powerful serve, which culminated in an ace on set point to secure the first set in under 30 minutes. The second set saw a shift in momentum as Bencic broke serve early and later leveled the match, aided by a net-cord forehand winner. The final was decided in a 10-point match tiebreak, where Mensik’s serving and net play gave the Czech team the upper hand. Muchova then served strong to reach match points, with Mensik delivering the clinching ace and celebrating the first Grand Slam title of their season.

Prior to the final, Muchova and Mensik had narrowly avoided elimination by saving two match points against Russian pair Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev in their semi-final encounter. Reflecting on their unexpected run, Muchova remarked on the importance of teamwork and lightheartedly credited their matching maroon jackets for their success.

The mixed doubles event at the US Open began on August 25 and featured a draw of 16 teams. Now in its second year under a revamped format designed to attract top singles players and increase audience engagement before the singles main draw, the tournament included notable pairings such as Novak Djokovic with Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz alongside Serena Williams.

Separately, the US Open granted Swiss player Stan Wawrinka a wildcard entry into the men’s singles draw for the 2026 tournament, as announced on August 26. The 2016 champion’s initial omission sparked widespread criticism from fans and reignited discussions regarding the criteria and transparency of the Grand Slam wildcard allocation process. Wawrinka, who had indicated via social media that he might not compete at the US Open this year following wildcards at the Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon, confirmed his acceptance of the wildcard and expressed enthusiasm about returning to compete in New York. The 24-year-old former world No. 3 has previously won the Australian Open in 2014 and Roland Garros in 2015.