A successful doubles partner is not easy to find. That is why Belinda Bencic is not letting go of Flavio Cobolli anytime soon. The former World No.4 was all smiles even after she and Cobolli lost the mixed doubles final against the Czech team of Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik at the US Open. But she was very clear about reserving the right to play with Cobolli until she calls it a day.

“Thank you for playing with me,” said Bencic in the runner-up speech. “I think it was kind of a coincidence how we started. But I really enjoyed every single match that we played together. You give so much energy and we have such a positive vibe. As I told you before, now you’re not allowed to play with anyone else until my career finishes. I hope we can try this again and hopefully win one time.”

The US Open was not the first time Cobolli and Bencic had teamed up; the duo won the invitational mixed doubles event at Indian Wells this year. As it stands, mixed doubles is a niche format on the Tour calendars, with the Grand Slams being the only Tour-level events to feature it. Team competitions like the United Cup do include mixed doubles, but as a nation-based event, players like Cobolli and Bencic cannot team up.

For Cobolli, this was the second time this year that the Italian collected a runner-up trophy at a Grand Slam, having finished second to Alexander Zverev at the French Open. After losing the final, the Italian showed appreciation for his doubles partner while being cheeky.

“Belinda, you are a gift. I love to play with you. I love to stay with you. Not in that sense. But you’re an incredible team. You’ll always have a supporter. You’ll always find support in me. Thank you for everything,” said Cobolli in his on-court speech. “Thanks for what you’ve given me every day these weeks and also the weeks we played in the past. I wish you good luck for the tournament. You deserve to win a Grand Slam one day.”

Entering the event as the fourth-seeded pair, the Italian-Swiss duo had a great run in Flushing Meadows, which will give them a lot of confidence ahead of their singles campaigns next week.

Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli Beat Some of the Top Teams at the US Open

Bencic and Cobolli began their campaign with a 4-2, 4-2 win over the team of Taylor Townsend and Alexander Zverev. The win was significant, given that Townsend is the current World No.2 in doubles (former World No.1), while Zverev’s big serving is a crucial asset to have in a doubles team.

Having won the first round easily, Bencic and Cobolli had their most high-profile win in the quarterfinals, winning 5-4 (4), 4-1 against the much-hyped duo of Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz. The Swiss-Italian next took on another fan-favorite team and real-life couple, Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils, in the semifinals. Despite losing the first set while having set points, Bencic and Cobolli rallied back to win the match, 4-5 (7), 4-1, 10-5.

The pair of Bencic and Cobolli also had a slow start in their final against Mensik and Muchova, losing the first set 3-6. However, just like in the semifinal, they hit back by winning the second set 6-1. They seemed to have the momentum, but conceded a 4-1 lead in the early stages of the match tiebreak. That lead was enough for the Czech pair to win the match, as Bencic and Cobolli could not close down the gap.

Having a good run in mixed doubles will help Bencic and Cobolli feel confident ahead of their singles campaigns. Both players are seeded in the singles draw, with the Swiss the twelfth seed and the Italian the fifth seed. However, in terms of US Open records, Bencic has had the better run in New York, reaching the semifinals in 2019, whereas Cobolli has not gone past the third round at Flushing Meadows.

Both Bencic and Cobolli are coming on the back of some decent form, with Bencic reaching the quarterfinals in Toronto, where she had to withdraw from her match against Coco Gauff. Cobolli, on the other hand, has won a hard-court title in Acapulco this year, and the Italian’s run in Paris will see more eyeballs on his performance in New York this time around.