Welcome to the US Open Mixed Doubles! This year’s tournament features an exciting field of 16 teams, comprising the world’s top talent and intriguing wild card pairings.
The competition is fierce, with eight teams earning their spot based on the best combined singles rankings, while the other eight are wild cards. The event takes place on Tuesday, August 19th, and Wednesday, August 20th, ahead of the US Open singles main draw, which begins on Sunday, August 24th.
This new scheduling is designed to give the mixed doubles event top billing. The winners will take home a significant prize pot of $1 million. The format is fast-paced and designed for high drama, with best-of-three-set matches and short sets of up to four games.
To learn more about the other new rules, including the scoring and qualification changes, you will have to read further. The wild card list is stacked with star power, including the dynamic duo of Emma Raducanu and Novak Djokovic teaming up with Olga Danilovic, and Venus Williams partnering Reilly Opelka.
Major doubts surround Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz’s participation. Following Sinner’s illness in Cincinnati and a tight schedule, their final status for the mixed doubles remains unconfirmed.
When is the US Open mixed doubles tournament?
The mixed doubles event at the US Open will take place across Tuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 August, ahead of the start of the singles events on Sunday 24 August.
The competition has been scheduled earlier to encourage singles stars to compete, and to give the mixed doubles event top billing.
Play will begin on Tuesday, 19 August, at 11 a.m. EST (4 p.m. UK time) with a day session, before the tournament concludes on Wednesday, 20 August, with a night session at Flushing Meadows in New York.
Day two of the competition will be a night session, with play starting at 7 p.m. EST (12 a.m. on Thursday, August 21, UK time) at Flushing Meadows in New York.
The first day will be played across both Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium, with just the former hosting the second day.
Who is playing together?
Direct entrants
- Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper
- Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud
- Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz
- Amanda Anisimova and Holger Rune
- Belinda Bencic and Alexander Zverev
- Mirra Andreeva and Daniil Medvedev
- Caty McNally and Lorenzo Musetti
Wildcards
- Katerina Siniakova and Jannik Sinner
- Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz
- Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe
- Olga Danilovic and Novak Djokovic
- Taylor Townsend and Ben Shelton
- Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori
- Venus Williams and Reilly Opelka
- Karolina Muchova and Andrey Rublev
- Naomi Osaka and Gael Monfils
What is the prize money?
Winners of the US Open mixed doubles championship will receive a significant prize pot.
- $1m US dollars (£736,880) prize money.
- Runners-up: $400,000 (£294,729)
- Semi-finalists: $200,000 (£147,364)
- Quarter-finalists: $100,000 (£73,682)
- Round of 16: $20,000 (£14,736)
What is the format of the mixed doubles event?
The updated mixed doubles championship will consist of best-of-three-set matches, with short sets of up to four games. If each team claims four games in a set, they’ll then play a tiebreak.
There will be no-ad in games that reach a score of deuce (40-all), meaning that the winner of the next point from that scoreline wins the game.
If the teams split sets, a 10-point match tiebreak will be played instead of a third set. The first team to earn 10 points in the tiebreak, with an advantage of two or more points, will win the match.
The final will also be a best-of-three-set match, but with sets in this instance maxing out at six games. It will also have no-ad scoring though and will substitute a third set for a 10-point match tiebreak if teams split sets.
Additionally, if teams split games in any given set, they will play a tiebreak.
What is the controversy surrounding the mixed doubles tournament?
The revamped US Open mixed doubles format has stirred considerable controversy, particularly among doubles specialists. Many players, including former doubles world No. 1 Kristina Mladenovic, have branded the event a “glorified exhibition” and not a true Grand Slam.
The key points of contention include the reduced draw size, the new qualification criteria based on combined singles rankings, and the fast-paced, abbreviated match format.
This emphasis on singles rankings and wild cards has effectively excluded many dedicated doubles players who don’t have high singles rankings, leading to what defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori called a “profound injustice.”
Critics also argue that the substantial increase in prize money is being directed toward already wealthy singles stars, rather than being used to support the broader doubles community.
The changes were made without consulting the players, further fuelling frustration and a sense of disrespect for the sport’s traditions.
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