US Open announces radical mixed doubles change as event targets top singles players
The US Open has announced a radical overhaul of its mixed doubles event – with the competition moving to two days in qualifying week in an attempt to attract top singles players.
The mixed doubles will take place between 16 pairs, halving the number of entrants from last year's event, and will be staged on the two biggest courts, Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong, over Tuesday 19 August and Wednesday 20 August.
It means that the mixed doubles champions will be decided before even the draw for the singles events are confirmed.
The scoring system, until the final, will be sets played to four games with sudden death deuce and a tiebreak at 4-4, with a 10-point tiebreak instead of the third set. The final will be the same but with normal six-game sets.
Most controversially for tour doubles players, eight pairs will earn entry based on their combined singles ranking with the other eight pairs decided by the US Open's wildcard committee.
Top American singles players Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz have already committed to the event. Six-time Grand Slam doubles champion Rajeev Ram criticised the entry process, with the world's best doubles players likely to miss out on playing mixed doubles in favour of top singles players.
The prize money for the winning pair will also rise to $1m, an increase of $800,000 from 2024.
'This is something we're really excited about,' Lew Sherr, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) chief executive, told The Athletic.
'I'm hopeful this becomes a new franchise and tentpole in tennis, not just at the U.S. Open, but elsewhere and throughout the year to attract more folks.
'It truly is something unique in sport where you have the best athletes, male and female, competing on the same field of play at the same time against one another. It doesn't exist in other professional sports.
'This is not an exhibition. This is a Grand Slam championship with significant prize money at stake. And we think it is unique and singular in sports. Our broadcasters all feel the same way.'
Sherr added that the success of an exhibition 'Mixed Madness' event in the build-up to last year's US Open, which was won by Paula Badosa and Stefanos Tsitsipas, encouraged executives to make the radical move.
'From every reaction that we received, including broadcasters, players, it was unequivocally a success,' he added.
'That emboldened us to go further, which is where we are today.'
The semifinals and final will air on ESPN2 in the US, while matches will be made available to Sky Sports and therefore viewers in the UK.
The announcement comes a few weeks after the Grand Slam held in New York confirmed a Sunday start date, extending the tournament to 15 days in line with the Australian Open and French Open. Wimbledon, however, will not be following suit, as confirmed by Tim Henman.
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