U.S. Open 2025: Errani & Vavassori Win Mixed Doubles Championship

Andrea Vavassori and Sara Errani weren’t even certain they would be able to defend their mixed doubles titles at the U.S. Open. Because they sought singles superstars rather than doubles experts, the tournament’s organizers changed it.

They not only returned to the top, but also to New York.

The Italians earned $1 million on Wednesday night after defeating No. 3 seeds Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud 6-3, 5-7 (10-6) in four matches over two days. This is a significant increase over their earnings in New York last year in a setup that was very different from this one.

When they took a quick lead in the match tiebreaker and held on in front of a large crowd inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, Errani and Vavassori, who were among the many critics of the changes to the event that excluded every other traditional doubles pairing, had nothing but smiles and lots of hugs.

“I think it was important for us to play,” Vavassori said. “Like, I have to say the initiative was also important because it was really a statement that doubles can become something better. The stadium was packed. The people were enjoying it. If something doesn’t work — like, we showed today that it’s working. Like, the people were going crazy.”

When the U.S. Open administrators redesigned their tournament and moved it well before singles play begins on Sunday in the hopes that tennis’ top players would play, they sought out a setting that doubles players rarely enjoy.

Many of them did. However, the doubles team ultimately won the contest.

Based on the combined singles rankings of its players, eight of the 16 teams in the tournament advanced, while the other teams were awarded wild cards. Errani didn’t think the Italians would receive one.

In the end, they succeeded, becoming the first mixed doubles winners to win the title again at Flushing Meadows since Jamie Murray and Bethanie Mattek-Sands in 2018–19. Both stated time and again that they were speaking for the several doubles players who were unable to accompany them to New York this year.

Errani remarked, “I think this one is also for them.”

Former U.S. Open singles champions Daniil Medvedev, Naomi Osaka, Emma Raducanu, Novak Djokovic, and Carlos Alcaraz were all drawn to the competition, however they all lost on the opening day. Even without them, nearly every seat at Arthur Ashe Stadium was occupied for the three games on Wednesday night. The roof was closed because it rained for the whole of the afternoon.

Ruud admitted that the U.S. Tennis Association had taken a daring gamble with its changes, which some claimed reduced the championship from the two-week, 32-event of the past to a glorified exhibition with sets cut to four in the first three rounds. However, even doubles-focused players concurred that the event received far more attention than they are used to.

“Any time you get a full crowd like this, how can we keep that going?” Christian Harrison said after he and Danielle Collins lost 4-2, 4-2 to Errani and Vavassori in the semis. “I mean, unreal night. I won’t forget this night.”

In the other semifinal, Swiatek and Ruud overcame an 8-4 deficit in the match tiebreaker to defeat the top-seeded combination of Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper 3-5, 5-3 (10-8) in the match.

Ruud then performed well in the final against the No. 2-ranked Swiatek, a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, and Ruud, who has advanced to three major singles finals.

However, they were unable to match the Italians’ doubles skills, as they won a second major championship together in the French Open this year. Even Swiatek and Ruud, two accurate ball strikers from the baseline, found it difficult to get past Vavassori because of his height and continuous movement around the net.

“I think in doubles we showed it’s very important know how to play doubles,” Errani said. “In doubles it’s not just serving good, hitting good, returning good. There are many other things that are not easy.”

One of the most successful women’s doubles players in history, Errani has won a career Grand Slam with her former partner Roberta Vinci and the 2024 Olympic gold medal with Jasmine Paolini, who was in the stands applauding after withdrawing from the competition after losing to Swiatek in the Cincinnati final on Monday night.

Swiatek chose to remain indoors and split $400,000 with Ruud, which is double what Errani and Vavassori received for their victory the previous year.