With less than 24 hours between the Cincinnati Open final and the US Open, Casper Ruud wasn’t sure if Iga Swiatek would be able to make it to New York. “I can’t lie. I was a little concerned! We both prepared each other if we were to do well in Cincinnati, that something might happen. We said that early when we planned.” And so he kept in touch with the Pole’s team as she went up against Jasmine Paolini, and was more than glad to see her warming up in New York as early as 10 in the morning. It has been smooth sailing for the duo since then. Well, mostly. 

Their synergistic partnership got them a 4-1, 4-2 win over Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe. They later secured their spot at the semifinals with a victory over Caty McNally and Lorenzo Musetti with the same score. And while Swiatek credited their victories to their communication, what transpired after the quarterfinal gave the impression that some things in that area still need to be ironed out. During the post-match interview on the court, the reporter pointed out that the duo was one of the first pairings that were announced earlier in February. But he wondered who was the first one to contact the other with an invitation to play at the 2025 US Open Mixed Doubles?

Well, according to Ruud, it was Swiatek. He said, “I think the fact that we played in United Cup and this was announced just a few weeks later, I think, I had in mind that maybe, if Iga wanted to play I’ll be down. And then she actually shot me a text and asked if I wanted to play…”

But he was cut short by his partner. Iga Swiatek revolted, “What? No! You texted.” Well, Ruud was still adamant with his take, but there was a hint of uncertainty in his voice. The moment quickly became awkward for the Polish athlete. She claimed, “That’s not possible, because when your agent asked my agent, I think, or you asked me, I had no idea what I’m signing up for. I was like, ‘Yeah, okay. I wanna play with Casper.’ But I didn’t know what the tournament is gonna even look like. So, it must have been you. Come on!” 

The to-and-fro managed to extract a bit of laughter from the audience in the galleries. Even the reporter joked about getting the athletes’ phones to cross-check their statements. Thankfully, Ruud decided to change the topic and revealed how grateful he was to be able to play with Iga Swiatek. He revealed that the WTA #2 got to her hotel just 12 hours before the matches. And despite that, she was on the court, making waves with her performance. And all he had to say was, “Thank you so much, Iga.” 

But do you know what Swiatek had to say about her stance at the US Open Mixed Doubles? Well, she’s really glad for the opportunity. But why exactly does the athlete think it’s a good thing to play the Mixed Doubles right after finishing her Cincinnati Open matches? Let’s find out!

Iga Swiatek gets honest regarding her stance at the 2025 US Open Mixed Doubles

Of course, Ruud was more than happy with the back-to-back wins but was also relieved that his partner would finally be able to get some rest. “Iga will have a good night’s sleep tonight. She deserves that,” he said. As for Swiatek herself, she doesn’t seem to mind the grind. 

“Honestly, I think actually it’s kind of nice for the recovery as well to have another task and not let yourself be lazy, but already focus on the next exciting thing,” Swiatek explained. “I wouldn’t say I don’t have energy or something like that. Also, if I’m used to playing singles, mixed doubles, it is less intense. You don’t need to run that much, so I’m enjoying it.”

Swiatek was more than happy to let Ruud cover about 80% of the court to let him play his forehand. It shows how familiar she is with his game, even though they have never played together before. But then again, it was hardly surprising considering how earlier in May, she congratulated Ruud for his victory in the Madrid Open final game. 

Swiatek and Ruud are all set to battle Jack Draper and Jessica Pegula. And if they win, they can go on to compete for the $1 million prize. But what do you think of the partnership between Swiatek and Ruud? Do you think they can with the 2025 US Open Mixed Doubles?