US Open Overhauls Mixed Doubles Format to Attract Stars and Fans: Key Details

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Posted by NewAdmin on 2025-02-13 08:56:39 |

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The U.S. Open is making a bold move torevamp mixed doubles, significantly altering the tournament's format togenerate more excitement and potentially attract star players when the finalGrand Slam of the year kicks off in late August.

The USTA revealed four major changesto the mixed doubles event on Tuesday:

Smaller Draw: The mixeddoubles field will be reduced to 16 teams, with eight spots based on combinedsingles rankings and the remaining eight available through wildcards.

New Schedule: Matcheswill now take place on Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong stadiums the week beforethe singles and doubles events, coinciding with the qualifying tournament andextending the U.S. Open into a full three-week event.

Fast Four Format: Thematches will feature a shortened “Fast Four” format, with sets played to fourgames (with a tiebreaker at 4-4) and a 10-point tiebreaker instead of a thirdset. Only the final will follow the traditional first-to-six format.

Increased Prize Money: Thewinning team will now earn $1 million, a significant jump from last year's$200,000 prize.

These changes are designed to attracttop-ranked singles players to the mixed doubles competition. The USTA hopesthat drawing in more high-profile athletes will boost interest in thisoften-overlooked part of the Grand Slam, which has traditionally lacked starpower and visibility.

Historically, mixed doubles have takena backseat at the Grand Slams, with matches often held on smaller courts andteams made up of less recognizable players. However, there has been clearevidence of fan interest when well-known players participate. At last year'sU.S. Open, for example, the match featuring Stefanos Tsitsipas and Paula Badosaagainst Santiago Gonzalez and Giuliana Olmos drew standing-room-only crowds.Similarly, Andy Murray and Serena Williams’ partnership at Wimbledon in 2019was a crowd favourite.

The USTA sees mixed doubles as aunique aspect of tennis, offering a rare opportunity for male and femaleathletes to compete on the same court. While the WTA and ATP tours rarelyintersect, mixed doubles at the Grand Slams are an exception. However, most topplayers prefer to focus on singles or doubles, due to the demanding nature ofthe competition, especially for men who play best-of-five set singles matches.

Some players may enter mixed doublesbut withdraw later if they progress far in singles. This happened at Wimbledonlast year when Emma Raducanu withdrew from a mixed doubles partnership withMurray due to an injury. The U.S. Open’s new schedule aims to prevent suchwithdrawals by scheduling mixed doubles matches before the singles eventsbegin.

Not everyone is on board with thechanges, however. Some purists, particularly those from the double’s community,have voiced criticism. Former doubles world No. 1 Paul McNamee argued that thenew format would “devalue” mixed doubles as a Grand Slam event, calling it moreof an exhibition.

While McNamee’s viewpoint may resonatewith some traditionalists, the USTA sees the changes as an opportunity to growthe game. Mixed doubles have long been an afterthought, drawing limitedattention unless star players are involved. The hope is that by incentivizingtop singles players to participate, the U.S. Open can transform mixed doublesinto a marquee event of its own, with matches in Arthur Ashe Stadium drawinglarge crowds.

In essence, the USTA is betting thatby focusing on high-profile players, they can turn mixed doubles into a majorhighlight of the U.S. Open, attracting both fans and sponsors alike.

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