Patten and Siniakova upset Djokovic and Sabalenka in US Open mixed doubles opener

Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka were defeated by Henry Patten and Katerina Siniakova 4-1, 2-4, 10-2 in the opening round of the US Open mixed doubles on Tuesday.

The pairing of Djokovic and Sabalenka were the top seeds for the mixed doubles draw; Djokovic is described as the winner of 24 Grand Slam singles titles and Sabalenka as a four-time major champion. The high-profile duo began the match strongly by taking the first set. The mixed doubles event is being held before the start of the singles main draw for a second straight year following a major overhaul of the competition.

Djokovic and Sabalenka captured the first set 4-1, but Patten and Siniakova responded by winning the second set 4-2 and then dominated the match tiebreak 10-2. Siniakova sealed the victory with a wide ace on match point. The win eliminated the top-seeded pair from the tournament.

Patten talked about how the format can tend to be a bit tough as one bad game could mean curtains for the players. "It wasn't looking very good for a while, in this format we play one bad game and all of a sudden the first set's gone," Patten said. "We knew the same could happen in the second, and we played an amazing tiebreak. Kat acing Novak on match point was great."

Organisers introduced a standalone slot and a smaller draw last year in an effort to encourage greater participation from elite singles players. The changes delivered strong commercial results in their first year, with packed stands and several leading singles stars entering the competition. The revised format also drew criticism from sections of the doubles community, who felt it reduced opportunities for established doubles teams.

The victory sends Henry Patten and Katerina Siniakova into the quarter-finals. Italy's Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori were the defending champions after successfully retaining their crown last year with a final victory over Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud.