Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka arrived on court as one of the most closely watched partnerships in the US Open mixed doubles competition. The top-seeded pair quickly justified the attention, racing through the opening set in only 12 minutes. Their apparent control, however, proved short-lived.

The match changes in three games

According to Eurosport Italy’s report on the mixed doubles match, Djokovic and Sabalenka won the first set 4-1. They also moved ahead by a break in the second, leaving Siniakova and Patten with little room for error. At that stage, another comfortable victory for the star partnership appeared possible.

The balance shifted when Siniakova and Patten won three consecutive games. Their improved returning placed the top seeds under increasing pressure, while the early momentum enjoyed by Djokovic and Sabalenka disappeared. The doubles specialists took the second set 4-2 and forced a match tiebreak.

The specialists take control

The deciding phase was played as a first-to-10 match tiebreak rather than a conventional third set. Siniakova and Patten moved 5-2 ahead after a double fault from Sabalenka and did not concede another point. Patten completed the turnaround with an ace, securing a 10-2 victory in the tiebreak.

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The outcome was surprising because of the profile of the defeated pair, but the winners were hardly unknown outsiders. Siniakova and Patten entered the tournament as the leading players in their respective doubles rankings, even though they had been required to qualify for the mixed doubles draw. Their positioning and coordination eventually proved more decisive than the individual firepower on the opposite side of the net.

A short format leaves little time to recover

The tournament’s shortened sets made the second-set collapse particularly damaging for Djokovic and Sabalenka. With sets played to four games, a brief loss of rhythm can decide the contest before a partnership has time to respond. The match tiebreak then magnified every error as Siniakova and Patten pulled away.

The defeat ended an eagerly anticipated partnership earlier than many expected, although it had no direct effect on either player’s singles campaign. Siniakova and Patten advanced to the quarterfinals, where they were later beaten by Elina Svitolina and Gaël Monfils. What initially looked like a routine evening instead became a reminder that established doubles chemistry can outweigh even the biggest names in tennis.

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