NEW YORK: The Czech team of Karolina Muchova and Jakub Men­sik won the US Open mixed doubles on Wednesday, saving two match points in a nervy semi-final and then pulling through in a tight final.

The pair survived a second-set pummeling in the championship decider in New York to edge Belinda Bencic of Switzerland and Flavio Cobolli of Italy, 6-3, 1-6, 10-6.

Mensik, a singles semi-finalist at this year’s French Open, sealed the triumph with a searing ace to the backhand corner.

Another Mensik ace saved one of two match points earlier in the evening when the Czech pair edged the Russians Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev, 5-4, 3-5, 11-9.

The back-to-back wins secured the first Grand Slam title for both Mensik and Muchova, who lost a heartbreaking Wimbledon singles final in July in three sets to fellow Czech, Linda Noskova.

Earlier, Cobolli and Bencic beat the married team of Elina Svitolina of Ukraine and Gael Monfils of France in a hard-fought marathon, 4-5, 4-1, 10-5.

The result ended the prospects for a fairytale finale to the career of the acrobatic Monfils, who has said 2026 will be his last season.

Wawrinka, WILLIAMS SISTERS HANDED WILDCARDS

Also on Wednesday, Swiss Stan Wawrinka has been handed a wildcard entry to the US Open singles draw while Venus and Serena Williams are slated to compete in women’s doubles, organisers said.

After several days of outcry from fans over exclusion of Wawrinka the 2016 champion was given the opportunity to play in the US Open in his farewell season.

Wawrinka posted an emotional farewell to the tournament on social media on Tuesday, seemingly closing the door on any hope of his competing in the year’s final major after participating in the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon this year on wildcards.

“I’m incredibly excited to accept the wildcard for the 2026 US Open and look forward to competing in front of the fans in New York once again,” he said in a statement.

On the other hand, Serena Williams’ dramatic return to Arthur Ashe stadium on Tuesday — when she and mixed double partner Carlos Alcaraz of Spain won their first match before losing in the quarter-finals — prompted the announcement by the US Tennis Association.

Venus Williams had earlier been granted a USTA wildcard to compete in women’s singles, an event Serena Williams is not participating in.

Published in Dawn, August 28th, 2026