Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik turned a late-night double shift on Arthur Ashe Stadium into a first Grand Slam trophy for each player, beating Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli 6-3, 1-6, [10-6] to capture the 2026 US Open mixed doubles crown.
Muchova and Mensik survive marathon finish for US Open mixed doubles title
The Czech pairing collected the $1 million winners’ prize after coming through consecutive match tiebreaks without a meaningful break between the semifinal and final. Muchova and Mensik had first escaped Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev in the last four, saving two match points before advancing, while fourth seeds Bencic and Cobolli had almost two hours to reset before the championship match.
That physical imbalance did not show in the opening set. Muchova and Mensik applied immediate pressure, holding three break chances in the second game before finally breaking for a 3-1 advantage two games later. They protected the lead to take the first set 6-3.
Bencic and Cobolli responded emphatically, controlling the second set 6-1 to send the title match into a 10-point tiebreak. Mensik’s serve again became the decisive weapon in the closing exchanges, and the Czech sealed the trophy with an ace.
The champions had needed a wild card to enter the draw after Mensik did not raise his ranking sufficiently to secure direct acceptance. Muchova had pushed for the partnership, saying the mixed doubles entry cut was especially high and that she had put “friendly” pressure on Mensik to make it happen. Their coordinated pink shirts and maroon shorts became a memorable part of their run, with Mensik naming pink and maroon as his current favourite colours and Muchova declaring maroon the shared choice.
The new team looked formidable from its first outing. In the opening round, Muchova and Mensik beat experienced doubles specialists Kristina Mladenovic and Marcelo Arevalo, who own 13 Grand Slam titles between them. They also defeated Emma Navarro and Tommy Paul in the quarterfinals, before the dramatic semifinal escape against Andreeva and Rublev.
Across their four matches, the Czech duo won 85 percent of points behind their first serves. They struck 13 aces over the semifinal and final, with Mensik repeatedly delivering when the score tightened.
For the 21-year-old Mensik, it was an astonishingly successful return to mixed doubles. He said he had not played the discipline since at least the age of nine, joking that an unbeaten record in his first event might mean it was time to retire from the format. Instead, he and Muchova said they had initially viewed the tournament as a chance to enjoy themselves and gain match practice before the singles main draw, only for the campaign to become increasingly serious.
Muchova said the scale of the achievement had not yet fully registered, particularly because both champions primarily identify as singles players. Whatever debate surrounds the updated mixed doubles format, the New York triumph is a first major title for both. The pair plan to celebrate and take a few days away from the court.
The trophy extends a remarkable 2026 for Muchova. She won the Doha WTA 1000 in February, ending a seven-year wait for a title, added the Bad Homburg title in June for her third WTA Tour trophy, and reached her second Grand Slam singles final at Wimbledon in July, where she lost in three sets to fellow Czech Linda Noskova.
Mensik adds the US Open mixed doubles title to the standout results of his young career, alongside his 2025 Miami Open triumph over Novak Djokovic and his run to the 2026 Roland Garros semifinal.
SEO Title: Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik win 2026 US Open mixed doubles title
SEO Description: Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik beat Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli in a match tiebreak to win the 2026 US Open mixed doubles title in New York.
