In the end, it was redemption for all the slighted doubles players at the US Open’s controversial new tournament. Casper Ruud and Iga Swiatek lost the $1M prize to Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori in the mixed doubles finals, completing their “mission” of winning the tournament on behalf of all the doubles players who didn’t even get the chance thanks to the revamped format. But it wasn’t easy. After Errani and Vavassori won the first set, Swiatek and Ruud took the second, becoming the first team to take a set from the Italians in the entire tournament. But in the end, the experience of Errani and Vavassori triumphed in the tiebreak, leaving Ruud and Swiatek as the runners-up. Following the match, it was time for Ruud and Swiatek to debrief. But no one expected Swiatek to name-drop Rafael Nadal during the presser.

Although their night ended in defeat, Swiatek and Ruud proved their mettle as a doubles pairing in this tournament, emerging as the last “singles” team standing. They had had virtually no time to practice, combined with the fact that Swiatek was running on fumes, having been transported directly to New York after winning Cincinnati just hours before the tournament began. And yet, that did little to deter them. They clawed their way back to steal victory from Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper in the semis, winning the tiebreaker 8-10 (5-3 3-5 (8-10)), after being down 8-4. They even forced a tiebreaker in the final, though this time even their heroics weren’t enough to topple the highly decorated doubles specialists. Nonetheless, what stood out was the teamwork between Swiatek and Ruud: despite the lack of prep, their synergy was undeniable.

So when they were asked about their chemistry during the post-match press conference, Casper Ruud had a pretty straightforward explanation. “Iga and I have both played mixed doubles in United Cup in the past,” said Ruud. “We have some experience, but not together. I think we had good chemistry. We’re similar people. We’re easygoing. Iga is humble.” 

But according to Swiatek, the real reason was far simpler. “Rafa’s kids,” she said with a smile. Ruud continued, “I guess that’s what some say. Easy to get along, click, and find some good chemistry.”

Both Ruud and Swiatek have been longtime admirers of the 22-time Grand Slam champion, with Ruud even having trained at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca as a teenager. And both of them looked up to Nadal as they grew up, with Swiatek even trying to learn from his competitiveness and humility (and with her 4 French Open titles, it looks like the emulation is paying off well for her). That practically makes them Nadal’s kids (or students). But the Polish star wasn’t the only one who name-dropped Rafael Nadal.

Casper Ruud brings in Rafael Nadal while praising Iga Swiatek

In the post-match conference after winning the quarterfinals of the mixed doubles, Casper Ruud heaped praise on his partner. And that’s when he brought Rafael Nadal into the picture. He said, “On the court she’s very, very intense in a good way. I like those kind of players. I think we both idolized Rafa [Nadal] when we grew up. Just the focus when we go on court, we’re there to do a job, kind of go into the zone. She really does that incredibly well.”

And despite their inexperience as a team, perhaps it was that shared admiration of Rafa Nadal that acted as the bedrock for their partnership to gel so well. He continued, “It’s a completely different game when you play doubles, of course. I think we both maybe feel a bit stressed here and there in rallies. You have a person at the net. All in all I think we played well. We fit our games well. We played two great matches today. Look forward. Yeah, maybe we’ll do some hitting and warm-up tomorrow and get ready.”

Now, as they shift gears for their respective singles runs, tennis fans are in for more intrigue. With Iga Swiatek in red-hot form, can anyone topple her? And can Casper Ruud channel this double success into a deep run in the singles tournament? Let’s wait and watch the story unfold.