The Belgian-Norwegian pair lost in straight sets 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 against the No.2 seed, made up of the Japanese Ena Shibahara (24 years old, WTA 8 in doubles) and Dutchman Wesley Koolhof (33 years old, ATP 11 in doubles). The final lasted 1 hour and 29 minutes. Shibahara and Koolhof, who won their first Grand Slam title, succeed American Desirae Krawczyk and Briton Joe Salisbury.
Far from being favourites, Vliegen and Eikeri found themselves down 3-1 after the first “round” of services, the Norwegian having been unable to avoid losing her service game in the 4th game. At 5-3 and 15- 40, a winning return from Vliegen on the Dutchman’s serve ensured the counter-break. The face-off of the 28-year-old left-hander from Limburg then made it possible to equalize at 5-5. The set was decided on a tie-break. After 2/2, the score slipped to 2/5 in favor of the outsiders, but the favorites Shibahara and Koolhof lined up the next five points and offered the first set 7/5 after 54 minutes.
Shibahara and Koolhof more clearly dominated the second round. Leading 5-2, the duo served for the match on the Japanese serve and prevailed on their first match point.
Joran Vliegen, 28, was the first Belgian player to play in a mixed doubles final at Roland-Garros.
The only Belgians to have won the doubles at the Porte d’Auteuil are Kim Clijsters, crowned in 2003 in women’s doubles with the Japanese Ai Sugiyama, as well as Xavier Malisse and Olivier Rochus, winners together of the men’s doubles in 2004. Dick Norman has he lost the final of the men’s doubles in 2009 associated with the South African Wesley Moodie. Justine Henin won the women’s singles title four times (2003, 2005, 2006, 2007). Kim Clijsters lost two singles finals (2001, 2003).
In Grand Slam, only Kim Clijsters had played (and lost) a mixed doubles final at Wimbledon in 2000, associated with her fiancé at the time, the Australian Lleyton Hewitt.
Before playing this final, Vliegen’s best Grand Slam result was a quarter-final on the clay courts of Porte d’Auteuil in men’s doubles in 2019 (with the Kazakh Mikahïl Kukushkin) and another in men’s doubles at the US Open in 2020 (with Sander Gillé).
