Latest news with #EllenPerez
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tennis aces peeved about US Open's mixed doubles change
Tennis stars have lashed US Open officials for scheduling the mixed doubles during fan week at Flushing Meadows, slamming the move as "terrible" and "disrespectful". While the USTA is trumpeting the decision to play the revamped $US1 million mixed event before the Open proper this year, a raft of doubles specialists, including Australian Ellen Perez, have taken to social media to express their dismay and disgust. The plan announced on Wednesday (Tuesday US time) calls for mixed doubles to be contested on August 19 and 20, during the week of the men's and women's singles qualifying event before the Open main draws start on August 24. The early-round matches will be best-of-three sets played to just four games, with a deciding point played at deuce. Tiebreakers would be at 4-4 instead of 6-6 in a regular match, while a first-to-10-points match tiebreaker would be played if the teams split sets, rather than a deciding set. Only the final will closely resemble a grand slam match, a best-of-three-sets affair played to six games with no-ad scoring, tiebreakers at 6-6 and a 10-point match tiebreaker. Only 16 teams - including eight wildcard pairings - will feature, with the eight other duos determined by the top player in each team's singles ranking. The changes have not gone down well with doubles specialists. "Tell us that you think doubles players are trash, that tradition is overrated and job opportunity is a thing of the past without actually saying it," Perez, a players' council representative, posted on X, formerly Twitter. Tell us that you think doubles players are trash, that tradition is overrated and job opportunity is a thing of the past without actually saying it. 🤡👏 — Ellen Perez (@EllenPerez95) February 11, 2025 Perez, who featured on Australia's United Cup mixed team this summer with Alex de Minaur, is far from the only disgruntled player. Decorated French doubles exponent Kristina Mladenovic, a former world No.1 and nine-times grand slam champion, declared the decision "terribly shocking". "Doing that just to sell more money during first week of the event," she posted on Instagram. "Making it look like an exhibition for whoever wants to play! "What about players playing singles Q that want/could with their doubles ranking play mixed?" No communication with the players, no thought behind what it means to some peoples careers, no respect to the history and traditions. Sad to see. 🎪 — Jan Zielinski (@zielaczekk) February 11, 2025 Among others, the winner of the Australian Open and Wimbledon mixed doubles titles last year also chimed in. "No communication with the players, no thought behind what it means to some people's careers," Czech Jan Zielinski said on X while reposting the US Open Tennis announcement. "No respect to the history and traditions. Sad to see." But the new shortened, big-money format may appeal to the likes of Australia's former Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios, who is being urged to play more doubles after injuries have curtailed his singles career in recent years. "What I would say is the reason behind this is to appeal to more fans and grow the fan base around the world," said Lew Sherr, executive director and CEO of the US Tennis Association. "But the way to do that is to have the biggest names in the sport participating in doubles, and to showcase them teaming up and playing in a different format, we think is exciting. "In fact, we know it's exciting."
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Aussie tennis fave blasts 'trash' move as US Open makes savage $1.6m change
Aussie tennis star Ellen Perez has joined the chorus of anger towards the US Open after the tournament announced changes to the mixed doubles format in 2025. The US Open has made sweeping changes to mixed doubles having moved the competition a week ahead of the main card draw. The prize money has also seen a significant increase. Last year, Italian duo Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori took home $200,000 ($A320,000) for winning the grand slam. However, in a huge bonus the 2025 winners will pocket $1 million ($A1.6m) in a big incentive for players to compete. In an attempt to shine more attention on mixed doubles, the competition will now take place during the fan week and each match will be shortened. The match will remain best of three sets, but only played to four games. The third set will be a super tiebreak. And in a highly-controversial decision the draw will now feature 16 pairs, which is half that of 2024. Eight pairs will earn direct entry via their combined singles ranking, while the other eight will be wildcard entries. This suggests the US Open wants to draw in higher-ranked singles players to compete in the tournament. Higher-ranked singles players would be more likely to enter, a week before their singles draw starts, because of the boosted prize money. This would allow them to focus on their singles draw without a clash of commitments. While the move might appeal to fans and higher-ranked players, the tennis community has been left fuming at the decision. The appeal for singles players to compete in mixed doubles, with less pairs eligible, would mean lower ranked players won't get a chance to enter. Many of the lower ranked players outside the top 50 rely on money from doubles and mixed doubles to survive throughout the year. With less teams and more singles players competing, lower-ranked players will be excluded altogether. Grand slam tournaments offer the biggest prize money for players and this will be seen as a blow for mixed doubles specialists. Aussie star John Peers recently won the Australian Open mixed doubles title with Olivia Gadecki. He also won the US Open mixed doubles title in 2022 with Storm Hunter. Peers could be one of the favourites to win the mixed doubles and take home career-changing prize money. However, his entry into the US Open is unclear with the new format prioritising singles players and wildcards. Another player who has been left dumbfounded at the announcement is Aussie mixed doubles player Perez. The Aussie is World No.9 in doubles, but currently unranked in singles. And the 29-year-old joined the chorus of players unleashing on the rule changes having suggested the US Open has disrespected the tradition of tennis. Tell us that you think doubles players are trash, that tradition is overrated and job opportunity is a thing of the past without actually saying it. 🤡👏 — Ellen Perez (@EllenPerez95) February 11, 2025 Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori comment the decision made by the US Open about the mixed doubles — Mario Boccardi (@marioboc17) February 11, 2025 Terrible decision not to let the doubles Players play the mixed doubles at the @usopen 👎 — EdouardRogerVasselin (@ERogerVasselin) February 11, 2025 No communication with the players, no thought behind what it means to some peoples careers, no respect to the history and traditions. Sad to see. 🎪 — Jan Zielinski (@zielaczekk) February 11, 2025 Sets to 4 games in a Grand Slam? 16 teams with 8 based on singles rankings and 8 wildcards. I'm sorry, but the US Open now will not produce a bona fide mixed doubles winner. Devalued from a Grand Slam title to an exo. Let's just say I'm in shock 😳 — 🎗️ Paul McNamee (@PaulFMcNamee) February 11, 2025 Interesting 😜 — Holger Rune (@holgerrune2003) February 11, 2025 Last year's US Open mixed doubles winners Errani and Vavassori also took aim at the format and labelled it a 'disrespectful' move. Doubles great Kristina Mladenovic, a nine-time grand slam champ, claimed the decision was "terribly shocking". "Doing that just to sell more money during first week of the event," Mladenovic posted on Instagram. "Making it look like an exhibition for whoever wants to play! What about players playing singles Q that want/could with their doubles ranking play mixed?" While there has been plenty of frustration wth the new format, US Tennis Association CEO Lew Sherr claimed the competition will bring more excitement to the format. "What I would say is the reason behind this is to appeal to more fans and grow the fan base around the world," Sherr said. "But the way to do that is to have the biggest names in the sport participating in doubles, and to showcase them teaming up and playing in a different format, we think is exciting. In fact, we know it's exciting."
