Instructions:  Conduct research about a recent current event using credible sources. Then, compile what you’ve learned to write your own hard or soft news article. Minimum: 250 words. Feel free to do outside research to support your claims.  Remember to: be objective, include a lead that answers the...

Read more
Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu Will Need a Wildcard to Enter the U.S. Open
The U.S. Open changed its August 19 and 20, 2025 mixed doubles tennis event at Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium in New York into a 16-team tournament, with eight teams entering by singles ranking and the others selected via wild cards. Players like Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu will need wild cards. The United States Tennis Association (USTA) aims to elevate mixed doubles, fan engagement, and star power, though others argue it excludes dedicated doubles specialists.
Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu, both Grand Slam champions, entered the 2025 U.S. Open mixed doubles tournament. Yet despite their status, they won’t be guaranteed a spot. Eight of the sixteen total teams will receive automatic entry based on their combined singles rankings; the other eight, including Raducanu and Alcaraz, rely on wild cards to secure their place.
Novak Djokovic and Olga Danilovic, Taylor Townsend and Ben Shelton, and Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori are in the same position. All are high-profile doubles players—but under the current rules, none qualify automatically. Announced in early 2024, the new mixed doubles format aims to turn what was once a relatively quiet side event into a major attraction, starring mostly profitable players. Originally, it was a 32-team, five-round tournament played over a week. “We understand and are sympathetic to the feedback from doubles specialists,” a USTA spokesperson told The Athletic. “We acknowledge that change is difficult.” They believe the 2025 Mixed Doubles Championship will inspire more people to play tennis.
Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, last year’s U.S. Open mixed doubles winners said, “Making decisions just following the logic of profit is profoundly wrong in some situations.” Some tennis players who are really good don’t have a high profit. They said the USTA disrespected dedicated doubles players. Tennis legend Martina Navratilova, who won 10 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles also said in an interview, “The other teams will be wildcards… it kind of makes a mockery of the event.”
Despite backlash, the USTA’s plan is working. Nine of the top ten singles players on ATP and WTA tours have expressed interest in playing, creating a long RSVP list. What was supposed to be a showcase for top singles talent is now a logistical headache.
With so many stars competing for a spot, the tournament risks shutting out the very doubles specialists it claimed to honor. The challenge now is keeping excitement from turning into backlash. With only eight wild cards available, no matter who gets in, someone deserving will be left out.
In changed format, the U.S. Open has succeeded in making it big again. But by shrinking the field and tying entry to singles rankings, it’s also cutting off many of the players who’ve built their careers in doubles. Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu, two tennis stars, may enter—but only if the organizers decide to give them one of the wild cards.
Sources:
https://www.reuters.com/sports/tennis/us-open-revamps-mixed-doubles-format-increases-prize-money-2025-02-11/
https://apnews.com/article/us-open-mixed-doubles-alcaraz-raducanu-adc0e24330703e8f6a33ea15cf291707
https://www.reuters.com/sports/tennis/alcaraz-raducanu-team-up-revamped-us-open-mixed-doubles-2025-06-17/

Share

Lea Chen