The New Mixed Doubles Event

The U.S. Open’s new mixed doubles event has successfully drawn interest from major singles stars like Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Aryna Sabalenka. However, this has also attracted some controversy because of its redesign. The new U.S. Open mixed doubles event has been changed for a shorter, more prominent display and a $1 million prize. This was an attempt to attract more singles stars. This change was made to engage more fans and sponsors for the mixed doubles event by showcasing top singles players. The revamped event will take place on August 19th and 20th, a Tuesday and Wednesday, 4 days before the main singles that will start on August 24th.

The entries will be determined by combined singles rankings, and the field will be reduced to 16 teams. Currently, only 8 of the 16 teams will get automatic entry based on their combined singles rankings. The other 8 teams are susceptible to change, and we don’t know who the other 8 teams consist of. As a result, many popular pairs, such as Alcaraz/Raducanu, Djokovic/Danilović, and even the reigning champions Errani/Vavassori would rely on wildcards to get into the game.

Due to the entry requirements this time, Errani and Vavassori have posted a common declaration joint statement on Instagram that: “Making decisions just following the logic of profit is profoundly wrong in some situations.” They claim that the event has been turned into a pseudo-exhibition that is only there for entertainment. “We see it as a profound injustice that disrespects an entire category of players. We don’t know at the moment if we’ll have the chance to defend our title but we hope this remains an isolated case,” they said.

Martina Navratilova is a 10-time Grand Slam mixed doubles champion. Recently, in a video interview, she criticized the selection method, saying that the other teams being wildcards is like doing a song and dance routine in front of the referee to get in. She said that “It kind of makes a mockery of the event. It’s an exhibition, not a proper event.”

In response to this, a USTA spokesperson argued that the point of this is to increase the popularity of the Mixed Doubles Championships and get more players to play mixed doubles, thus inspiring more people to play and grow the sport.

The new format up to the final will be the best-of-three-set matches with sets played to four games plus a deciding point at deuce, like the ATP Next Gen Finals. If a set reaches 4-4, a tiebreak will be played. Instead of a full third set, a 10-point match tiebreak will decide the match. The final will be a regular three-set match with a tiebreaker in case of 6-6 and a 10-point tiebreak replacing the third set again.

All in all, USTA expected and acknowledged the criticism. However, they remain assured that the new format will bring more viewers and fans for mixed doubles, bringing more good than harm.