With this victory, Mattek-Sands earned her first Olympic medal.
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Russia’s Stefaniya Elfutina took bronze with 69 total points, edging out Lilian De Geus of the Netherlands (70 points) despite finishing seventh in the medal race (which De Geus won). But the second set was nearly a blowout, with Mattek-Sands and Sock dominating 6-1.
After falling behind 3-0 in the tiebreaker, Williams and Ram won the next six points to go ahead 6-3.
Sock is the possessor of two Grand Slam titles, having won the mixed doubles competition at the 2011 US Open alongside American Melanie Oudin and the men’s doubles competition at Wimbledon 2014 alongside Canadian Vasek Pospisil. She already owns four gold medals – one in singles (2000) and three in doubles with her sister Serena Williams – and looked to be in command for a fifth after winning the first set. Venus also would have been the first to win gold in singles, doubles and mixed doubles.
Sunday, she and her partner, Ram, settled for silver.
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Ram was added to the USA roster shortly before the opening ceremony after the 2012 doubles gold medalists, Bob and Mike Bryan, withdrew.
