Australian pair find redemption and break 28-year drought with US Open crown

Jordan Thompson and Max Purcell have crowned Australia’s spirited US Open campaign with a redemption triumph in the men’s doubles final.

The Australian duo outclassed German 10th seeds Kevin Krawietz and Tim Puetz 6-4 7-6 (7-4) on Saturday (Sunday AEST) to become the first all-Australian pairing to reign in New York since Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge in 1996.

The straight-sets victory goes some way towards atoning for a crushing finals loss at Wimbledon, where Thompson and Purcell failed to convert any of three match points.

“To be grand slam champions, it has a great ring to it, especially after what happened at Wimbledon,” Thompson said. “It got a bit tense there at the end, with match points, but we stuck with it and we got there in the end.”

The Sydneysiders and great mates only paired up last year, after Purcell split with compatriot and his 2022 Wimbledon-winning partner Matt Ebden, but have already enjoyed great success together.

As well as reaching back-to-back grand slam finals, Thompson and Purcell have collected ATP titles in Houston, Los Cabos and Dallas this year despite focusing mostly on singles. And now Thompson is a major winner after enjoying a magical breakout fortnight at Flushing Meadows.

The 30-year-old will leave New York with a career-ranking of No.29 in the world after also making the last 16 of the singles and a monster cheque for $US700,000 ($A1.15 million) after hoisting the doubles trophy. And Purcell, now a dual grand slam champion, will bank $US515,000 ($A772,000) for his two weeks’ singles and doubles efforts in the Big Apple.

“It was a great match,” Thompson said. “Obviously nerves are going to be at the end. But I feel like we were the better team. I don’t really say that too often, but from the get-go I thought we were creating chances and we just played really a good, clean match today.”

After throwing in two double faults when serving for the match, but finally clinching victory with an ace, Purcell said: “I’d like to say I’m not going to screw it up twice. I felt like something good was coming there. Glad we didn’t have to try and start from scratch in the third. I felt like because of Wimbledon we would have been okay at the start of the third.”

The dynamic duo’s watershed win completes one of Australia’s best US Opens this century. Australia converted its biggest singles contingent since 1981 into having three men in the fourth round for the first time in 38 years.

World No 10 Alex de Minaur defied a painful hip injury to reach the quarter-finals, after ending Thompson’s run, while Alexei Popyrin capped his memorable American hardcourt season with a seismic third-round victory over defending champion and 24-times major winner Novak Djokovic.

As well as joining modern-day greats the Woodies on the honour roll, Thompson and Purcell also follow Australian legends including 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 amazing doubles renaissance.

Thompson and Purcell are the fourth Australian team in the past three years to land grand slam men’s doubles crowns, joining 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 guess the camaraderie of Australian players, we all kind of stick together, Thommo and I especially. That’s a huge factor in why we win.”