Mixed doubles is likely the most underrated discipline at slams, despite being the rarest and unique. Every year, it is Wimbledon mixed doubles that draws the most interest from marquee singles players, so here are seven of the most exciting mixed doubles teams outside of the top favorites.
Robin Haase and Kirsten Flipkens
The two-thirds of Benelux come together to form an exciting doubles team, with Haase providing the strength and Kirsten Flipkens showing some flair and craftiness. Robin Haase showed his doubles prowess in a straight sets win alongside Robert Lindstedt over 10th seeds Ivan Dodig and Rajeev Ram. Flipkens also advanced alongside Monica Niculescu beating Putinsteva/Tomljanovic. Both also won their singles matches, so their form might be getting them a dark horse shout.
Mike Bryan and Bethanie Mattek-Sands
The 40-year-old Mike Bryan has been playing without his twin brother, Bob, since Madrid because of injury, and he has gone 1-3 since then, playing with various Americans. Mike Bryan has had previous mixed doubles grass experience, winning the 2012 Wimbledon and getting the Bronze Medal at the 2012 Olympics in London alongside Lisa Raymond, he will be hoping to channel that experience six years later. Bethanie Mattek-Sands is back, a year on from her horrific knee injury, and not only is she reuniting with Lucie Safarova, but also trying to give it a shot in the mixed. These two are among the best doubles players of their generation, so you cannot count them out.
Jamie Murray and Victoria Azarenka
Jamie Murray is the defending champion, winning his second mixed doubles Wimbledon title, this time with Martina Hingis. His two titles were 10 years apart, and Murray will be hoping his next title comes before 2027. He found himself a great partner for that. Two-time slam champ, former world number one, and 2012 Olympics Mixed Doubles Gold medalist Victoria Azarenka will join Murray and will look for her third slam in Mixed Doubles. This team is likely the one with the highest profile, the crowd will support them until the last ball.
Thanasi Kokkinakis and Ashleigh Barty
This is one for all the travelling Aussies that are ever-so-present with their chants at this year's Wimbledon. Thanasi Kokkinakis fell in qualifying, but is still one of the most exciting young players on tour, especially on grass. Ashleigh Barty is top 20 in both singles and doubles, and her comeback story after quitting tennis for cricket has endeared her to many. You can expect the stands to be full and song aplenty from this team.
Henri Kontinen and Heather Watson
The only seeded team included (16) are champions from 2016. Henri Kontinen and Heather Watson proved that they are among the top mixed doubles teams at Wimbledon, but haven't really played mixed together outside of the All-England Club. Kontinen, the dedicated doubles player of the pair, is coming into Wimbledon with good form after a Queen's Club title. Watson has been already in singles, so she can fully focus on doubles and hope to rekindle the magic from two years ago.
Nicolas Mahut and Elina Svitolina
36-year-old Nicolas Mahut is an elite doubles player and he is coming off of a French Open title, his third slam. Elina Svitolina is an elite singles player, but she has already been eliminated by Tatjana Maria in the first round. Mahut hasn't ventured into mixed doubles too much, but will definitely look to rack up more slams in this discipline. Svitolina has been playing some more doubles in the last few years, and actually ended up having her best result in mixed, reaching the semifinals of the 2017 Australian Open alongside Chris Guccione. The Ukranian has been consistently in the top 10 for the past few years but never reached past a quarterfinal in singles. These two could combine to be the perfect mix for the title.
Jack Sock and Sloane Stephens
Jack Sock and Sloane Stephens are among the top American players in the world, but their last 12 months could not have been different. Since winning Paris-Bercy and doing surprisingly well at the World Tour Finals, Sock has won five matches in 2018, a season that has him ranked 146th in the Race to London. Sloane Stephens has won the U.S. Open and made a French Open final since Wimbledon last year rising up to number four. Both lost in the first round of singles, so they will get a chance for redemption. There will be an added layer of intrigue to this team as they have dated previously and the rumors arose since the announcement of this team. It will certainly be interesting to see their chemistry on the court together.
