A 'glorified Exhibition'? - Us Open Mixed Doubles Divides Opinion

US Open 2025

Venue: Flushing Meadows, New York Dates: 24 August-7 September

Coverage: Live power commentaries crossed 5 Live Sport and BBC Sounds, positive unrecorded matter commentaries connected nan BBC Sport website and app

Whether you emotion it aliases loathe it, nan revamped US Open mixed doubles cannot beryllium ignored.

Transforming nan arena by enticing nan superstars to play pinch immense rate prizes, a shorter format and caller slot earlier nan singles commencement is simply a bold move by nan United States Tennis Association (USTA).

It has brought excitement and disapproval successful adjacent measure, polarising those who play, watch and emotion nan sport.

Some judge it will put much eyes connected tennis successful an ever-competitive and progressively saturated market.

"We are ever trying to find caller initiatives to make our athletics much absorbing for nan fans. I deliberation it is fantastic," Daniela Hantuchova, who won nan US Open mixed doubles title successful 2005, told BBC Sport.

But others deliberation it devalues a Grand Slam title and robs doubles specialists of a chance to gain nan large prize money.

"It's a glorified accumulation successful my eyes," said British doubles prima Jamie Murray.

When nan US Open announced it was "reimagining" mixed doubles, nan rationale was to "elevate" nan arena and create "greater focus" connected nan sport.

Interest surely grew erstwhile nan first group of prima names were announced.

Five-time Grand Slam singles champion Carlos Alcaraz teaming up pinch Britain’s Emma Raducanu captured nan astir attention, while Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, Iga Swiatek and Venus Williams bring further glamour.

"For nan excitement levels and for getting nan fans to battalion nan stadium, it is simply a cool thought to person that prima powerfulness travel out," American doubles fable Mike Bryan told BBC Sport.

"Fans want to spot Djokovic, Alcaraz and Sinner moreover if they are brushing their teeth."

The 16 entrants comprise of 8 teams based connected their associated rankings, pinch nan different 8 fixed wildcards by US Open organisers.

Twenty-one of nan 32 players are classed successful nan apical 20 successful nan world successful singles.

Matches will beryllium played connected Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium - nan 2 largest show courts astatine Flushing Meadows.

American tv audiences will besides beryllium capable to watch connected primetime connected ESPN, who past twelvemonth signed a £1.5bn woody for exclusive US Open authorities up to 2037.

"I deliberation it's cool for nan promotion of nan crippled - and I understand nan economics of it," added Bryan, who won 4 of his 22 Grand Slam doubles titles successful nan mixed.

"There are ever going to beryllium group upset - and winners and losers - but successful nan extremity I deliberation fans will beryllium pleased pinch nan product."

USTA main executive Lew Sherr's assertion that "the players are behind" nan revamp is surely existent of nan apical singles stars.

Djokovic understands why location are divided opinions but says he is "excited" to compete successful what he thinks will beryllium a "very entertaining" event.

Britain's Jack Draper, who will squad up pinch American Jessica Pegula, says nan format will enactment arsenic useful mentation for nan singles, while Swiatek believes it will beryllium a competitory test.

There is, however, a glaring deficiency of master doubles pairings.

Only Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, who won past year’s title and some objected publicly to nan change, person been fixed a wildcard.

"I deliberation they should person had a mates much spots for nan doubles guys," Bryan added.

The eagerness of nan starring stars to get progressive should not travel arsenic a surprise.

As good arsenic nan shortened format and convenient scheduling, location is besides a lucrative prize cookware - thing that has been peculiarly galling for nan doubles specialists who are missing out.

This year's winning brace will gain $1m (£740,000) - 5 times much than Errani and Vavassori took location past year.

"It's frustrating. That money is going to players who are making an absolute boatload anyway," Murray, who has won 3 US Open mixed titles, told BBC Sport.

Appearance fees - which a root told BBC Sport are upwards of $50,000 (£37,000) each - person besides been dished retired to nan stars arsenic sweeteners.

Singles prize money besides makes up astir 75% of nan US Open's grounds $90m (£66m) purse.

"They aren't playing because it's an opportunity to triumph a Grand Slam, they're playing because they're getting a truckload of rate and perchance a beautiful cool event," Murray added.

Losing a chance for a Grand Slam title is simply a cardinal root of consternation for nan doubles players.

When Murray won his 3rd consecutive US Open mixed title pinch Bethanie Mattek-Sands successful 2019, nan brace celebrated by drinking champagne retired of their trophy astatine JFK Airport.

Many doubles players, including Murray, judge nan star-studded arena could complement nan accepted mixed - but not switch it.

"I'm judge it will beryllium an entertaining accumulation - but that's what it will be. I don’t spot it arsenic winning a Grand Slam," Britain's Joe Salisbury, who reached nan Wimbledon mixed doubles last pinch Brazil's Luisa Stefani past month, told BBC Sport.

Another gripe is nan deficiency of consultation.

Salisbury and Stefani's knowing is nan US Open did not talk nan plans pinch nan players, who are represented by elected Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and Women's Tennis Association (WTA) councils.

Pegula, a salient personnel of nan WTA council, agreed nan USTA went "rogue", adding: "If location was feedback astir nan format, past nan [reaction] would beryllium a small different."

"I'm judge location would person been resistance," Stefani said.

"But our views wouldn't person mattered anyway. The determination was made and we person to unrecorded pinch it."

Multiple sources person told BBC Sport they judge nan Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon are committed to nan accepted format.

Crucially, they do not person nan aforesaid financial musculus arsenic nan US Open to salary for nan prize money and quality fees.

But if nan New York arena is simply a roaring success, past it will not spell unnoticed successful Melbourne, Paris and London.

All nan fields are progressively alert of nan request to maximise earning opportunities successful nan week earlier nan main draws, whether it is done qualifying, exhibitions aliases instrumentality events.

Hantuchova suggests nan new-look mixed doubles could beryllium introduced astatine immoderate associated ATP-WTA events.

"I deliberation it would beryllium a awesome inaugural successful Indian Wells, Miami aliases Madrid," she said.

"We person seen nan fans are already talking astir nan US Open and I deliberation it is simply a awesome opportunity for nan women's players.

"I deliberation it is awesome we are uncovering much and much ways to harvester men's and women's tennis."