“It was packed every time we were playing at the [US] Open. So, I hope it’s the same,” reflected Ben Shelton as he and his mixed doubles partner, Taylor Townsend, looked at the highlights of their semifinal run in New York two years ago. Their chemistry on the court, made iconic by their boisterous celebrations, had really captured the imagination of fans. “I know it’s like a free week this year, but I think it’ll be a lot of fun, a lot of the same.” But as it turns out, maybe Shelton was a bit misguided in his optimism for this year. At least, that is what Taylor Townsend felt.

Shelton and Townsend’s pair won their opening R16 battle against the team of Amanda Anisimova and Holger Rune in straight sets. While they closed out the first set 4-2 without much trouble, the 50th-minute mark saw the second set go into a tie-break. The American duo, however, took an early lead and eventually closed out the match 4-1, 5-4(2). Later, during the on-court interview, while Townsend, happy with the result, confessed that having Ben Shelton as the “vibe coordinator” brings out a “different energy” out of her, she felt that the audience at the Louis Armstrong Stadium could’ve done a better job.

Speaking to the reporter, Townsend initially expressed her gratitude toward the fans, saying, “It’s been two years since we’ve seen you guys. So thank you for coming out. We missed you guys.” And that’s when she also pointed out (hilariously), “We’re really happy to see you guys, but for our next match, we need you guys to turn up some more… because it was a little dry. So we need you guys to be louder in our next match.” 

Townsend and Shelton entered the US Open this week on the back of great individual runs. For the uninitiated, the 22-year-old ATP talent won his maiden Masters 1000 title earlier this month. At the Canadian Open, he bested Russia’s Karen Khachanov in the summit clash to lift the trophy.

On the other hand, Townsend’s been in sensational form when it comes to doubles. At Wimbledon, she managed to reach the semis with her trusted partner Katerina Siniakova. Then at the Citi Open, the tennis mom went on to lift the trophy in the women’s doubles category with partner Zhang Shuai. Not to mention that she succeeded in reaching the QF stage, too, in her singles journey at the WTA 500 tournament. And most recently, she shone in doubles again with Zhang, making it to the summit clash of the Canadian Open.

Unfortunately, though, Townsend and Shelton’s second mixed doubles outing in New York met an anticlimactic end.

Taylor Townsend, Ben Shelton’s US Open mixed doubles journey wraps up early

After Taylor Townsend and Ben Shelton bested Anisimova and Rune, they faced compatriots Danielle Collins and Christian Harrison in the quarterfinal battle. Collins and Harrison were coming off their R16 victory against the pair of Alexander Zverev and Belinda Bencic. The all-American battle turned intense toward the closing moments. After Collins and Christian snatched the first set, the result was decided in a tie-break again. Only this time, Townsend and Shelton could not manage to come out on top.

They missed out on the semis this time after Collins and Christian bested them with a final score line of 4-1, 5-4(2). Now, what makes things interesting is the fact that Collins and Christian were somewhat underdogs compared to their counterparts on the other side of the net, considering they entered the competition at the very last minute in place of Jannik Sinner and Katerina Siniakova.

Sinner withdrew his name after falling ill during the recent Cincinnati Open final against Carlos Alcaraz. Hence, he and Siniakova were eventually replaced by Collins and Christian. Seems like the two made the best of this opportunity. Now they are into the semis, where they will go against defending US Open mixed doubles champions Sara Errani and Andre Vavassori.