Australian pair find redemption and break 28-year drought with US Open crown
Jordan Thompson and Max Purcell capped Australia’s energetic US Open season with a redemptive victory in the men’s doubles final.
The Australian duo defeated 10th-seeded Germans Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz 6-4 7-6 (7-4) on Saturday (Sunday AEST) to become the first all-Australian duo to dominate in New York since Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge in 1996.
The three-set victory is a good compensation for the crushing defeat in the Wimbledon final, where Thompson and Purcell failed to convert three match points.
“To be a Grand Slam champion, that sounds amazing, especially after what happened at Wimbledon,” Thompson said. “It got a little bit close at the end, with match points, but we hung in there and eventually we got there.”
The Sydneysiders and their close friends only formed a partnership last year after Purcell split with fellow Australian and 2022 Wimbledon-winning partner Matt Ebden, but they have already enjoyed much success together.
In addition to reaching back-to-back Grand Slam finals, Thompson and Purcell have collected ATP titles in Houston, Los Cabos and Dallas this year despite focusing primarily on singles. And now Thompson is a big winner after a magical breakout two weeks at Flushing Meadows.
The 30-year-old leaves New York with a career-high ranking of No. 29 in the world after also reaching the last 16 of the singles tournament and a monster cheque of $US700,000 ($A1.15 million) after lifting the doubles trophy. And Purcell, now a two-time Grand Slam champion, will bank $US515,000 ($A772,000) for his two-week singles and doubles efforts in the Big Apple.
“It was a great game,” Thompson said. “Of course there will be nerves at the end. But I feel like we were the better team. I don’t say that often, but from the start I thought we created chances and we just played a good, clean game today.”
After making two double faults while serving for the match but ultimately securing victory with an ace, Purcell said: “I want to say I’m not going to screw it up twice. I felt like something good was coming. I’m glad we didn’t have to start over in the third. I felt like we did well at the beginning of the third because of Wimbledon.”
The dynamic duo’s decisive victory completes one of Australia’s best US Opens this century. Australia has turned its largest singles contingent since 1981 into three men in the fourth round for the first time in 38 years.
World No. 10 Alex de Minaur reached the quarter-finals despite a painful hip injury after ending Thompson’s run, while Alexei Popyrin concluded his memorable American hard-court season with a stunning third-round victory over reigning champion and 24-time major winner Novak Djokovic.
Thompson and Purcell join the modern greats the Woodies on the roll of honour, but also follow Australian legends John Newcombe and Tony Roche, Fred Stolle and Ken Rosewall, Roy Emerson and Neale Fraser, and Rosewall and Lew Hoad as US Open doubles champions.
Their success also continues Australia’s astonishing doubles revival.
Thompson and Purcell are the fourth Australian team in the past three years to win a Grand Slam men’s doubles title, following Rinky Hijikata and Jason Kubler (2023 Australian Open), Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis (2023 Australian Open) and Purcell and Ebden (2022 Wimbledon).
Purcell added: “I think the camaraderie of Australian players, we all stick together, Thommo and I in particular. That’s a big factor in why we win.”