Wimbledon 2024: Unseeded Henry Patten and Heliovaara win men’s doubles crown

Britain’s Henry Patten and Finland’s Harri Heliovaara defeated Australians Max Purcell and Jordan Thompso 6-7(7), 7-6(8), 7-6(11-9) in an epic final to win the Wimbledon 2024 men’s doubles final.

The unseeded duo clinched their first Grand Slam titles in an epic battle that captivated the Centre Court crowd on Saturday. Patten and Heliovaara, who only began their partnership three months ago, navigated a challenging draw, defeating several seeded pairs to reach the final. Their opponents, Purcell and Thompson, had also shown remarkable form, notably ousting top seeds Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos in the semifinals.

The final was a masterclass in serving, with neither team conceding a break of serve throughout the match. Each set culminated in a tense tiebreak, and the pressure reached its peak as Patten and Heliovaara saved three championship points in the second set to force a decider. After nearly three hours of intense play, Patten, a former Wimbledon statistician, and his Finnish partner edged out the Australians in a nail-biting finish, earning a standing ovation from the enthusiastic spectators.

“You’re all amazing out there. It couldn’t have been a closer match. I can’t really remember what happened. I’m sure Harri’s the same,” Patten expressed in the post-match interview.

For Patten, this victory marked a personal milestone, having never advanced past the third round in a Grand Slam before. Heliovaara, who had previously reached two quarterfinals, was overcome with emotion, shedding tears of joy on the court.

“I admit we got a bit lucky today but sometimes we need luck to win a tennis match… The tears say it all, it’s very emotional,” Heliovaara said.

The first set was a showcase of serving prowess, with the Australians losing just two points on serve. However, Patten and Heliovaara matched their intensity, pushing the set into a tiebreak. Despite making several errors, the British-Finnish duo displayed resilience, saving four of five set points before Purcell and Thompson secured the set with a narrowly wide return from Heliovaara.

The second set continued in similar fashion, with both teams holding serve. The Australians’ ace count rose, but Patten and Heliovaara remained unbroken, eventually taking the set in another thrilling tiebreak.

CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS

With the match balanced on a knife-edge, the final set tiebreak saw both pairs fighting for every point. Patten and Heliovaara’s determination paid off as they saved multiple match points and finally claimed victory on their own championship point, sealing a historic win in one of Wimbledon’s most memorable doubles finals.