Defending champions send strong message after knocking Taylor Fritz out of the US Open mixed doubles

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The 2025 US Open mixed doubles event is well underway as some of the biggest names in tennis compete for the $1 million prize.

Ahead of the 2025 tournament, organizers announced overwhelming changes to the US Open mixed doubles event.

The field was reduced from 32 teams to 16, as a greater focus was placed on attracting singles stars to compete.

Therefore, most of the mixed doubles teams that fans are used to seeing at the other Grand Slams weren’t invited to return to New York in 2025.

The sole exceptions were the Italian pair of Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, the defending champions.

Winning their opening match against the highly respected duo of Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz, Errani and Vavassori sent a strong message to their fellow doubles stars.

Andrea Vavassori says he and Sara Errani are playing for the doubles stars who ‘couldn’t compete’

Errani and Vavassori made a dominant start to their title defence, defeating Rybakina and Fritz 4-2, 4-2 on Louis Armstrong Stadium.

During their post-match interview, Vavassori sent out a defiant message, standing with the doubles stars who weren’t invited to compete.

“We are playing for all the doubles players that could not compete here. We try to do our best,” he said.

When the news of the changes to the format was first announced earlier this year, Vavassori and Errani posted an emotional statement to social media, sharing their disappointment.

“In the last few weeks, we received the news that the US Open mixed doubles tournament will be completely turned upside down, cancelled, and replaced with a pseudo-exhibition focused only on entertainment and show,” they said.

“It will be played during the qualification tournament, with eight pairs of players determined by highest single ranking and eight pairs of players invited by the tournament with a wild card.

“A decision made without consulting anyone, which we can do nothing but accept.

“We see it as a profound injustice that disrespects an entire category of players. Putting money above tennis is never a good idea.”

At the time, it was not clear whether Errani and Vavassori would be invited back to defend their titles, although they were later awarded a wild card.

The Italian pair have won several doubles Grand Slams in their career, and picked up their second title together at the French Open in June.

They are, however, the only Grand Slam mixed doubles champions in the draw for the 2025 US Open, as several big names missed out.

The two other mixed doubles major-winning pairs of 2025, Olivia Gadecki/John Peers (Australian Open), and Katerina Siniakova/Sem Verbeek (Wimbledon), weren’t given a wild card.

Looking to fly the flag for doubles, Errani and Vavassori will return to the court in a short while for their quarterfinal match.

If the Italians pick up the win, they’ll return for the semifinals, and potentially the final, on Wednesday, August 20.

Are there any other doubles specialists in the US Open draw?

While Errani and Vavassori are the most-established team in the draw, that’s not to say there aren’t several top doubles players competing in the new-look US Open event.

Two former Grand Slam doubles champions are among those competing and will no doubt hope their experience can guide them to the title.

The most successful doubles player competing in the tournament is Venus Williams, a former 14-time doubles Grand Slam and two-time mixed doubles Grand Slam winner.

Playing with her fellow American, Reilly Opelka, in 2025, Williams could meet the defending champions in the quarterfinals.

Only time will tell if Williams and Opelka can work their way past Andrey Rublev and Karolina Muchova in round one to set up a quarterfinal clash with Errani and Williams.