A two-time Grand Slam doubles champion has been rather positive in his views about the new US Open mixed doubles format.
The change to the event at the US Open in New York has been one of the biggest talking points on the tennis circuit.
It remains to be seen how it will be received by those watching it on television and the fans who witness the event in person.
But one of the players who could feature in the competition has now had his say on the changes to the tournament.
Multi-time Grand Slam doubles winner comments on new US Open mixed doubles event
One of the latest players to comment on the changes is the reigning Australian Open doubles champion Henry Patten.
Coming into operation at the 2025 US Open, their mixed doubles tournament will be played in what is known as ‘Fan Week.’
It is usually held alongside the men and women’s singles and doubles events when the main draw commences, but now the mixed doubles competition will commence the week prior.
Furthermore, the size of the field will decrease from 32 to 16 teams, and during the first three rounds, teams will need to win up to four games to win a set, while the final will be played with regular sets.
During an appearance on the The Inside-In Tennis Podcast, Patten, who also won Wimbledon in 2024, explained why he thinks the new event will be a success.
“I think the one thing I can say for sure is that it will be a huge success. I think it will be a great event,” the Brit said. “I think it will bring a lot of eyeballs to doubles and I think that is a good thing. I think that’s great.
“The only thing I would personally take issue with is that they are calling it a slam. I think that slightly discredits champions of the past, really. It’s not the same effort to win that event as it has been the mixed format of the past, so I think that is a bit of a shame.
“But you know this is the world we live in. The broadcasters have a lot of money and a lot of power, so if they are not going to do both of them, and they have to do that, then OK, that’s fine. I guess time will tell whether it’s good for tennis or not.”
What does Henry Patten’s double partner think of the new US Open mixed doubles event?
Also weighing in on the matter is Patten’s doubles partner Harri Heliovaara.
The pair have won two Grand Slams together and Heliovaara has in fact won the US Open mixed doubles title back in 2023.
While the Finnish player sees the positives in the new mixed doubles format at Flushing Meadows, he also has one criticism.
“I think it will increase how much people watch mixed doubles, it will be a great success,” he said. “I believe that it is going to be prime time and hopefully the club players will play more mixed doubles because of that.
“But it sucks for us doubles guys we are not part of that. We believe we would be good enough to be in that draw and that’s maybe why it’s a little unfair. We could win or be close to winning the mixed doubles but we are not allowed in the tournament any more.”
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