Pretty in pink (and maroon): Muchova and Mensik claim US Open mixed doubles

NEW YORK -- There was plenty of uncertainty surrounding Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik's run to the 2026 US Open mixed doubles title, which they clinched with a 6-3, 1-6, [10-6] win over No. 4 seeds Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli on Arthur Ashe Stadium late Wednesday night.

Would Mensik raise his ranking enough to earn them a guaranteed spot? If not, would the Czech duo receive a wild card? And above all, what would they wear if they got in?

In the end, the answers were no, yes and matching pink shirts with maroon shorts -- a look that made them best dressed as well as champions.

"My favorite color right now is pink and maroon, that's for sure," Mensik said in their post-match press conference.

"I think I (also) have to say that my favorite is maroon," Muchova added. "Now that Jakub knows what it means, it's the favorite color for both of us."

The red-adjacent color appreciation is nice, but the trophy -- and the $1 million prize -- likely tops it. And it means even more considering how they won it, playing back-to-back matches with no rest while their finals opponents had nearly two hours to recover.

Back-to-back breakers

Muchova and Mensik narrowly escaped defeat in the semis, saving two match points and surviving a match tiebreak against Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev just to reach the final. That comeback -- and the adrenaline that came with it -- seemed to carry straight into the championship match.

They pressured Bencic and Cobolli early, generating three break points in the second game. They couldn't convert, but broke two games later for 3-1 and served out the set from there.

Bencic and Cobolli recovered quickly, running away with the second set to force a match tiebreak. As it did in the semifinal, Mensik's serve delivered in the biggest moments, and he sealed the title with an ace.

Tournament in review

Muchova was determined to make the partnership work.

"I really wanted to play with him," she said. "Obviously the ranking was the deciding point because the cut for these mixed doubles is very high. I put a little pressure on him, but in a fun way. It worked. I'm happy we managed to get in and that we are here now."

On paper, they possessed the tools needed to be a strong team. And they proved it immediately on court, defeating doubles specialists Kristina Mladenovic and Marcelo Arevalo -- owners of 13 combined Grand Slam titles -- in the first round.

It was Mensik's first mixed doubles match since he was at least nine years old, he said.

"It sounds crazy, huh," Mensik said. " My first mixed doubles, 100%-win rate, so I will finish my career, I guess," he added with a smile.

"It was a fun event. We went out there to have some fun, to get a couple matches before the main draw. We actually played pretty well. It was starting to (become) the real deal. Obviously (having) gone this far, both of us are very happy we could lift the trophy."

Across four matches -- including a quarterfinal win over Emma Navarro and Tommy Paul -- they won 85% of their first-serve points. They hit 13 aces between the semis and the final.

Reaching new heights

The accomplishment hasn't fully sunk in for Muchova. But make no mistake: while opinions may be mixed on the new format, it will go down as a first Grand Slam title for both players.

"I think I'm not even realizing it yet. We are both singles players, so that's always in my head," she said. "I'm super happy we managed to win. It was not my expectation. I think we'll celebrate a little bit and have some days off. I'm glad we did this together."

For Muchova, it's the latest highlight in a standout 2026 season. She won her first WTA 1000 title in Doha in February -- her first trophy in seven years -- then added her third WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz title in Bad Homburg in June. She reached her second Grand Slam final at Wimbledon in July, falling to compatriot Linda Noskova in three sets, and now owns a US Open mixed doubles crown.

For Mensik, the title sits alongside his win over Novak Djokovic to claim the 2025 Miami Open title and his 2026 Roland Garros semifinal as the biggest achievements of his young career.