Wimbledon
London, July 11: Katerina Siniakova and Sem Verbeek etched their names in the Wimbledon history books on Thursday, defeating Britain’s Joe Salisbury and Brazil’s Luisa Stefani in straight sets, 7-6(3), 7-6(3), to claim the mixed doubles crown in a memorable final on Centre Court.
For Czech star Siniakova, it was a moment of long-awaited triumph. Despite her glittering doubles resume — 10 Grand Slam titles and Olympic gold in women’s doubles — a mixed doubles title had eluded her until now. Before this year, she had never advanced past the round of 16 in a mixed doubles draw at any Slam.
Dutchman Sem Verbeek, playing in his first-ever Grand Slam final, had declared in the lead-up to the match, “Let’s make it a Thursday to remember forever.” And together, they did just that. The duo, playing as a scratch pairing, showed remarkable chemistry throughout the match, holding their nerve in two tightly contested tie-breaks to overcome the more experienced Salisbury-Stefani team.After the victory, a visibly emotional Verbeek led the Centre Court crowd in a rendition of “Happy Birthday” for his father Frank, seated in the player’s box — a moment as heartfelt as it was historic.“This is really special,” Siniakova said, cradling the trophy. “It means so much. We had so much fun out there. Sem, thank you for playing with me. The atmosphere here is always amazing, and I’m just so happy to experience this moment on Centre Court.”
Verbeek, overwhelmed by the occasion and his partner’s stature, responded, “It’s been an honour and a pleasure to compete beside a true legend of doubles. Thanks for making this a Thursday I’ll never forget.”For Salisbury, who grew up just a mile from the All England Club, the wait for a Wimbledon title continues. A six-time Grand Slam champion across other events, this was his second runner-up finish in mixed doubles at Wimbledon, having lost the 2021 final with Harriet Dart. His celebrated men’s doubles partnership with Rajeev Ram has reached three semi-finals here, but never the final hurdle.
Stefani, meanwhile, endured her second defeat to Siniakova in as many days — she was also knocked out of the women’s doubles on Wednesday, alongside Timea Babos, by Siniakova and her partner Taylor Townsend. A back issue forced Stefani to take a medical timeout early in the second set of the mixed final, but she fought valiantly to stay in the contest. (AP)