Svitolina and Monfils Edge Siniakova and Patten 10-8 in US Open Mixed Quarterfinal

Married pair Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils became the first team to reach the mixed doubles semifinals by winning a 10-8 match tiebreaker.

Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils secured a spot in the US Open mixed doubles semifinals on Tuesday by defeating Katerina Siniakova and Henry Patten with a scoreline of 5-4 (6), 4-5 (3) (10-8). The married couple, competing as wild card entrants, overcame a duo that included the world's top-ranked men's and women's doubles players. This victory places Monfils, who turns 40 on Sept. 1, and Svitolina, who is 32, within two wins of a $1 million prize. The match concluded with a celebratory kiss and hug on the court, prompting Monfils to remark, "Happy wife, happy life," during the postmatch interview.

The path to the semifinals for the Ukrainian-French pair began with a 4-1, 4-1 opening-round rout of Alex Eala and Felix Auger-Aliassime. Despite their success, Svitolina admitted the team had no expectations entering the tournament and only began working on doubles tactics the Monday prior to their quarterfinal. While they frequently practice together at home or during tournaments, Svitolina told her coach during the morning warmup that winning just a few games would be an achievement. Monfils is currently playing in his final Grand Slam tournament before his scheduled retirement.

Siniakova and Patten Oust Top Seeds

Katerina Siniakova and Henry Patten reached the quarterfinals after a notable first-round upset of the No. 1 seeds, Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic. Siniakova and Patten recovered from a 12-minute first-set loss to win 1-4, 4-2 (10-2). The match ended when Siniakova served an ace to Djokovic on match point, a moment Patten later described as "pretty fun." Sabalenka and Djokovic had earned the top seed based on the lowest combined singles ranking in the field, as the U.S. Tennis Association sought to attract more elite singles players to the mixed draw.

Under the 2026 tournament format, matches in the first three rounds consist of sets played to four games. A tiebreaker is triggered at 4-all, and a 10-point tiebreaker replaces a traditional third set. Only the final, scheduled for Wednesday night, will utilize traditional sets played to six games. This overhaul followed a 2025 season where doubles specialists were largely excluded from the field in favor of teams qualifying via singles rankings.

Semifinal Field Takes Shape

Joining Svitolina and Monfils in the final four are Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik, who advanced with a 4-1, 5-3 win over Americans Emma Navarro and Tommy Paul. Muchova and Mensik previously defeated Kristina Mladenovic and Marcelo Arevalo 4-1, 2-4 (10-7) to open their campaign. Navarro and Paul had reached the quarterfinal stage by ousting fellow American pair Amanda Anisimova and Learner Tien 5-3, 4-2.

In another quarterfinal clash, Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev saved a match point to outlast the defending champions, Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori. The final score was 1-4, 4-1 (11-9). Errani and Vavassori, the 2024 winners, were the only doubles specialists in the field to receive a wild card to return and defend their title. The 2026 event also introduced an eight-team qualifying tournament, providing two spots for regular doubles specialists to enter the main draw.

Historical Context at Flushing Meadows

Both Svitolina and Monfils have previously reached the singles semifinals in New York, with Monfils doing so in 2016 and Svitolina following in 2019. The couple married in 2021 and welcomed their daughter, Skaï, the following year. Their current run coincides with Serena Williams' return to the US Open, marking her first appearance at the tournament since 2022. Williams began her first-round match alongside Carlos Alcaraz just as the two-time defending champions were being eliminated from the competition.