The revamped US Open mixed doubles tournament is set to get underway on Tuesday, amid speculation that some of the entrants may still withdraw from the event.
A total of 16 teams are taking part in the two-day event, which will reward $1M in prize money to the champions. The high-profile pairings include Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu, as well as Mirra Andreeva and Daniil Medvedev. Jack Draper, Jannik Sinner and Madison Keys are also entered in the draw.
The format has also been adjusted. Through to the semi-finals, matches will be the best-of-three short sets (first to four games) with no ad-scoring and tiebreakers at 4-4. A 10-point tiebreak will take place in the third set. In the final, the match will be best-of-three normal-length sets (first to six games with a tiebreak at 6-6).
“We’re launching a brand-new approach to the U.S. Open mixed doubles. All of the top players will be competing for a Grand Slam title and a $1 million prize during the fan week so that it doesn’t interfere with the singles schedule. This has never been done before, and I think it highlights the inclusive nature of our sport,” USTA president Brian Vahaly said during a recent interview with Outsports.
“The mixed doubles finals were not drawing crowds. Most players were picking their partner the week before the tournament. For us, that didn’t feel deserving of a Grand Slam title — an honor that stays with you for life. Knowing that mixed doubles had so much potential, we wanted to reimagine what it could be.” He added.
One of the biggest problems the US Open is facing for its new event is the participation of Sinner, Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek, who are all still playing at the Cincinnati Open. The star-studded trio is expected to play their matches on Monday, then head straight to New York via a flight lasting around two hours and be ready to play the next day. In Swiatek’s case, she has been scheduled to play her opening match at around 12:30am, which will be less than 24 hours after she played in the Cincinnati final.
It is for this reason that the chances of last-minute withdrawals are likely with a reserve team being brought in. Jasmine Paolini, who will play Swiatek in Cincinnati, has already confirmed she is pulling out.
“I need some rest. So I’m not going to play the mixed doubles,” Paolini told The Tennis Channel on Sunday.
“I decided with my team to rest one or two days after this tournament because it’s been a tough tournament.
“I would love to play with Lorenzo (Musetti) and hopefully next year we have the chance to play again.”
As it currently stands, the list of teams entered to play the mixed doubles first round is the following:-
Jack Draper/Jessica Pegula v Carlos Alcaraz/Emma Raducanu
Olga Danilovic/Novak Djokovic v Mirra Andreeva/Daniil Medvedev
Casper Ruud/Iga Swiatek v Madison Keys/Frances Tiafoe
Gael Monfils/Naomi Osaka v Caty McNally/Lorenzo Musetti
Katerina Siniakova/Jannik Sinner v Belinda Bencic/Alexander Zverev
Ben Shelton/Taylor Townsend v Amanda Anisimova/Holger Rune
Reilly Opelka/Venus Williams v Karolina Muchova/Andrey Rublev
Sara Errani/Andrea Vavassori v Taylor Fritz/Elena Rybakina
What is the prize money?
Champions: $1m (£736,880)
Runners-up: $400,000 (£294,729)
Semi-finalists: $200,000 (£147,364)
Quarter-finalists: $100,000 (£73,682)
Round of 16: $20,000 (£14,736)
