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Jordan Thompson and Max Purcell in 28-year-first at US Open as pair battle through Wimbledon jitters

Australian doubles duo Thompson and Purcell have claimed their first grand slam title at the US Open.

ben talintyre
Sports Reporter
·5-min read

Two months after a heartbreaking loss in the Wimbledon final, Australian doubles duo Jordan Thompson and Max Purcell have claimed their first grand slam title in a dramatic US Open doubles triumph in New York. The Aussies defeated the German combination of Tim Puetz and Kevin Krawietz 6-4 7-6 (4) as they battled through some tiebreaker nerves that were understandably lingering from their Wimbledon collapse.

After some early unforced errors and double faults in the second set tiebreak, the Aussies quickly regained their composure, sticking to the game plan that saw them dominate the contest to that point. After racking up several consecutive points, the pair were again given an opportunity to close out a grand slam final and this time the pair didn't let the chance pass them up.

Pictured Jordan Thompson and Max Purcell
Australian doubles duo Jordan Thompson and Max Purcell have claimed their first grand slam title at the US Open. Image: Getty

Purcell's poor game when serving for the Wimbledon title at 6-4 5-4 would have been front of his mind as he set himself to serve for the match at the US Open and he wasn't to be denied again. The Aussie slid an ace wide to the advantage court on match point to secure the US Open title. Purcell thumped another ball into the stands, jumped into Thompson's arms and planted a big kiss on his mate's cheek as a mix of relief and joy washed over the dynamic duo.

The pair's win means they are the first Australian team since Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge in 1996 to take out the US Open crown. The straight-sets victory goes some way towards atoning for a crushing finals loss at Wimbledon, where Thompson and Purcell failed to convert any of their three match points.

After throwing in two double faults when serving for the match, but finally clinching victory with an ace, Purcell said: "I'd like to say I'm not going to screw it up twice. I felt like something good was coming there. Glad we didn't have to try and start from scratch in the third. I felt like because of Wimbledon we would have been okay at the start of the third."

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 05: Jordan Thompson of Australia (L) celebrates match point with partner Max Purcell of Australia against Nathaniel Lammons of the United States and partner Jackson Withrow of the United States during their Men's Doubles Semifinal match on Day Eleven of the 2024 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 05, 2024 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Jordan Thompson and Max Purcell are the first Australian team since Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge in 1996 to take out the US Open crown. Image: Getty

While Thompson was equally overjoyed by the result. "To be grand slam champions, it has a great ring to it, especially after what happened at Wimbledon," Thompson said. "It got a bit tense there at the end, with match points, but we stuck with it and we got there in the end."

The Sydneysiders and close friends only paired up last year, after Purcell split with Aussie compatriot and his 2022 Wimbledon-winning partner Matt Ebden, but they have gone from strength to strength in 2024. As well as reaching back-to-back grand slam finals, Thompson and Purcell have collected ATP titles in Houston, Los Cabos and Dallas this year despite both of their main focuses being on singles.

It has been an incredible week for Thompson who has enjoyed a breakout fortnight at Flushing Meadows. The 30-year-old will leave New York with a career ranking of No.29 in the world after also making the last 16 of the singles and a monster cheque for $US700,000 ($A1.15 million) after hoisting the doubles trophy. And Purcell, now a dual grand slam champion, will bank $US515,000 ($A772,000) for his two weeks' singles and doubles efforts in the Big Apple.

The dynamic duo's win was the icing on the cake for what has been one of Australia's collective best US Open performances this century. Australia converted its biggest singles contingent since 1981 into having three men in the fourth round for the first time in 38 years.

World No.10 Alex de Minaur defied a painful hip injury to reach the quarter-finals, after ending Thompson's run, while Alexei Popyrin capped his memorable American hardcourt season with a shock third-round victory over defending champion and 24-times major winner Novak Djokovic.

Thompson and Purcell's doubles triumph sees them join the modern-day greats the Woodies on the honour roll. Their names will now also feature alongside John Newcombe and Tony Roche, Fred Stolle and Ken Rosewall, Roy Emerson and Neale Fraser, and Rosewall and Lew Hoad as US Open doubles champions.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 29: Jordan Thompson of Australia celebrates a point against Hubert Hurkacz of Poland during their Men's Singles Second Round match on Day Four of the 2024 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 29, 2024 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
Jordan Thompson will leave New York with a career ranking of No.29 in the world after also making the last 16 of the singles and a monster cheque for $US700,000 ($A1.15 million) after hoisting the doubles trophy. Image: Getty

While their success also continues Australia's doubles renaissance. Thompson and Purcell are incredibly the fourth Australian team in the past three years to land grand slam men's doubles crowns, joining Rinky Hijikata and Jason Kubler (2023 Australian Open), Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis (2023 Australian Open) and Purcell and Ebden (2022 Wimbledon).

with AAP