Bethanie Mattek-Sands takes two titles at French Open
PARIS – While Serena Williams walks away from the French Open as the most well known American to capture a title here this year, compatriot Bethanie Mattek-Sands is taking home twice the amount of hardware from Paris.
The Arizona native won the mixed doubles crown on Thursday with fellow American Mike Bryan and then the doubles title on Sunday, as well, partnering with this tournament's breakout star, Lucie Safarova.
Mattek-Sands becomes the first player to win both doubles and mixed doubles at the French Open since 2001, when Spain's Virginia Ruano Pascual did so.
She and Safarova defeated Casey Dellacqua and Yaroslava Shvedova 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in a thrilling two-hour final on Court Philippe Chatrier less than 24 hours after Safarova had stretched Williams to three sets in a back-and-forth women's singles final.
"Result wise it's a big success, coming in here and not losing in doubles," said Mattek-Sands, 30. "It's just nice for me to be out there playing and feeling good, being able to play singles and doubles and mixed."
It marks the second Grand Slam in a row for the American-Czech pair, the duo having won at the Australian Open earlier this year. It's first time a women's doubles team has won in both Melbourne and Paris since 2010, when Venus and Serena Williams did so.
No women's doubles team has won the calendar Slam since 1984, when Americans Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver did so.
Mattek-Sands has been ranked as high as No. 30 in the world in singles and wins her 16th career doubles crown and third with Safarova.
Safarova was the first player since 2012 to reach both the singles and doubles finals, when Italian Sara Errani did so. Errani lost in the singles final to Maria Sharapova, but won doubles alongside countrywoman Roberta Vinci.
Mattek-Sands continues to make her way back from a hip injury that put her out for six months last season, sinking her singles ranking outside the top 150. The mixed doubles title with Mike Bryan was the second of her career, and first for the two as a team.
"It was kind of a last minute thing with Mike, he asked me at the beginning of the week," Mattek-Sands explained. "But I had a blast playing with him. I mean, what a couple of weeks. I mean, I don't think it's completely soaked in until I get some champagne in my trophy."
Bob and Mike Bryan lost in the men's doubles final Saturday evening to Ivan Dodig and Marcelo Melo, falling short in their bid for a 17th career Grand Slam.
The U.S. has had a standout French Open in all, with Williams winning the women's singles title, Mattek-Sands women's doubles, she and Mike Bryan in mixed doubles as well as Tommy Paul winning the boys' singles title over compatriot Taylor Harry Fritz, marking the first time two American boys reached the final here.
Paul was runner-up in the boys' doubles event with fellow American William Blumberg, and girls' doubles players Caroline Dolehide and Katerina Stewart were also finalists.