This wasn’t just a victory for Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori. Their US Open mixed doubles title also felt like a victory for all doubles tennis players.

Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori retained their US Open mixed doubles title on Wednesday, beating Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud to claim the $1 million top prize in the new-look competition that kicked off action at the last Grand Slam of the year.

The defending champions, who needed a wild card entry into the competition that prioritised singles rankings, relied on their experience to outfox Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud 6-3 5-7 10-6.