Sabalenka and Djokovic fall in first match as the US Open mixed doubles begins
Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic met their match in the first round of the U.S. Open mixed doubles tournament. The Belarusian and Serbian, both ranked at the top of their respective singles categories, started strongly but were unable to maintain their advantage. They were defeated 1-4, 4-2 (10-2) by Katerina Siniakova and Henry Patten.
Siniakova, ranked No. 1 in women's doubles, secured the win with an ace on match point. Patten expressed his delight at the moment, stating, "Kat acing Novak on match point was pretty fun." This match was part of a new format for the tournament, which began two days before the singles main draw, featuring a scoring system designed to ensure short, fast-paced games.
The U.S. Open offered a $1 million prize for the winning doubles team. Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz battled later in the first round, while other notable matches included Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils against Alex Eala and Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik against Kristina Mladenovic and Marcelo Arevalo.
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