Tennis preparation meets table tennis precision in an unexpected twist at the US Open.
While most players rely on traditional warm-ups, the recently crowned mixed doubles champions Andrea Vavassori and Sara Errani have turned to ping-pong balls and lightning-fast reflexes to dominate their competition.
What Secret Did Danielle Collins Reveal About the US Open Mixed Doubles Champions?
Danielle Collins, who reached the semifinals of the US Open mixed doubles event alongside Christian Harrison, shared a behind-the-scenes glimpse of Vavassori and Errani’s unique pre-match ritual. The American tennis star, who has over 270,000 followers on Instagram, posted a short clip of Vavassori practicing before their semifinal match.
“If anyone wants to know @andrevavassori and @saraerrani87 secret to having the best reflexes on tour, it’s this,” Collins wrote in the caption. “Their coach packs a table tennis paddle and 85 ping balls and fires them all over the place before they go on.”
Collins described the preparation routine as “epic.” The Italian pairing defeated Collins and Harrison 4-2, 4-2 in their semifinal match before capturing the championship.
Sinner withdrew from the event after contracting an illness that forced him to retire mid-way through the final against Carlos Alcaraz at the Cincinnati Masters 1000 event. Collins and Harrison opened their campaign with a 4-0, 5-3 win against former Olympic singles gold medalists Belinda Bencic and Alexander Zverev, then followed with a 4-1, 5-4(7-2) victory over compatriots Taylor Townsend and Ben Shelton.
How Did Sara Errani Honor Doubles Players After Defending Their US Open Title?
Following their victory over Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud, Errani made a special dedication to doubles specialists who couldn’t participate in the tournament due to new format changes.
“I think this one is also for all the doubles players that couldn’t play this tournament,” she said after defending her title.
The 2025 US Open completely overhauled its mixed doubles format, reducing the field to just 16 teams to boost popularity. The new structure awarded eight teams direct entry based on combined singles rankings. In contrast, the remaining entries went to wildcards.
Before the tournament, Errani and Vavassori wrote a joint letter strongly criticizing the US Open’s decision. The defending champions characterized the changes as both “unjust” and “disrespectful” to “an entire category of players.”
“We received the news that the US Open mixed doubles tournament will be completely turned upside down, cancelled, and replaced with a pseudo-exhibition focused only on entertainment and show. A decision made without consulting anyone, which we can do nothing but accept it,” they wrote.
The pair expressed particular frustration with the lack of input from the doubles community before implementing the changes. Despite public criticism of the format, the duo was later granted wildcards to defend their titles, which they successfully did.