NEW YORK — Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos won the U.S. Open men's doubles championship Saturday for their second Grand Slam title of the season, edging Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski 3-6, 7-6 (4), 7-5.
The No. 5-seeded team also won the French Open — beating Salisbury and Skupski as well — to give the longtime duo its first two major titles after losing in its first three finals.
"This year we are having results and I'm very happy to do it with him because we fight hard," Granollers said of his partner from Argentina after he and Zeballos won the $1 million title.
They were close to losing it, with the British duo holding three match points leading 5-4 in the third set. But Granollers and Zeballos won the next eight points, eventually getting their only break of the match when Granollers lunged to return Skupski's serve into an open corner for a 6-5 lead.
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With fellow Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz watching and cheering from the workout room, Granollers then served it out.
Salisbury was trying for his fourth U.S. Open men's doubles title, having won three straight with Rajeev Ram from 2021-23. He and Skupski then became regular partners this year and it was one of close but not quite. The U.S. Open was their fifth final this year and they dropped all of them.
"We'll keep working hard and these finals will come our way one day," Skupski said.
The tight final — Granollers and Zeballos had a 98-97 edge in total points — gave the winners a third Grand Slam victory over the No. 6-seeded pair of Salisbury and Skupski this year. They also won a matchup in the Wimbledon quarterfinals.
"So why not make it Australia," Skupski said, looking ahead to the next major. "We'll go again and hopefully we'll have another great match."
Ivanov, Vandromme wins junior titles
NEW YORK — Jeline Vandromme and Ivan Ivanov added new trophies to their collections Saturday, capturing the U.S. Open junior boys and girls titles in straight sets.
Vandromme took down Swedish qualifier Lea Nilsson 7-6 (2), 6-2 in the girls' draw, overcoming an early deficit and fighting through a tie break to take the first set before speeding out to grab the second.
"I don't think I can believe it yet," Vandromme said on court after the win. "I'm super happy with my week here, with the level I showed."
The Belgian player was on a hot streak in New York this year, upsetting No. 2 Hannah Klugman and No. 3 Kristina Penickova on her way to the final.
On the boys' side, reigning Wimbledon boys' champion Ivanov handily added another Slam title to his growing list of accolades. The No. 1 seed took down fellow countryman Alexander Vasilev 7-5, 6-3 in an all-Bulgarian match-up celebrated by numerous Bulgarian flags in the stands.
"Full Bulgarian final and full Bulgarian crowd," Ivanov said with a smile. "I'm very happy that this happened, and I'm very happy that I took success today."
In doubles, sisters Alena Kovackova and Jana Kovackova took the win over Vandromme and her partner, Laima Vladson, while Keaton Hance and Jack Kennedy won the boys' title over Noah Johnston and Benjamin Willwerth in an All-American final.
