Max Purcell, Jordan Thompson win US Open men’s doubles title

NEW YORK — After several new chances at a Grand Slam title were blown at the US Open, Max Purcell and Jordan Thompson couldn’t help but reflect on what happened at Wimbledon.

“Yes, quite a bit,” said Purcell.

They left the All England Club heartbroken. This trip to Flushing Meadows ended in celebration. Purcell and Thompson won the US Open men’s doubles championship on Saturday, staving off a late collapse and beating the 10th-seeded German team of Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz 6-4, 7-6 (4) for their first major trophy together.

The seventh-seeded Australian had three match points at Wimbledon in July but lost in a third-set tiebreak to Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten.

The Australians squandered two match points on Saturday when they led 5-3 with Krawietz serving, but it was soon 5-all when Purcell was broken at love while serving for the match.

But his serve was there at the end when they needed it, and he sealed the match with an ace at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“Wimbledon helped us and probably made us more focused when things went wrong again so we didn’t go wrong a third time,” said Purcell.

Close friends who were both coached by Thompson’s father, the duo improved to 50-10 overall, including 37-6 this season. It was their fifth title together and earned them $750,000.

“We don’t think of it as, ‘We’re doubles players,'” said Thompson, who reached the fourth round of singles at the US Open before losing to another Australian, Alex De Minaur. “We think of it as singles players, and doubles is just a bonus, and we get extra practice to improve our singles. And then it all comes together.”

It was Thompson’s first Grand Slam doubles title. Purcell won Wimbledon in 2022 with another Australian, Matthew Ebden.

Thompson and Purcell became the first all-Australian team to win the US Open men’s doubles title since Hall of Famers Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge in 1995 and 1996.

Krawietz and Puetz split $375,000.