The fourth and final Grand Slam of the year is right around the corner, with the US Open set to get underway next week.
Heavy favourites for the men’s title will be the defending champion Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, while Novak Djokovic remains determined to clinch a record-breaking 25th major crown.
On the women’s side, Aryna Sabalenka will look to bounce back from her quarterfinal defeat in Cincinnati in pursuit of going back-to-back in New York.
The US Open will see a legend return for potentially the last time, as Venus Williams prepares to take centre stage at Flushing Meadows after receiving a wildcard for the event.
Beginning during ‘Fan Week’, the tournament kicks off with a reimagined mixed doubles competition, featuring a star-studded lineup with big names from both tours going toe-to-toe with each other.
However, before the new addition has even made its debut, problems with it are arising from the latter stages of the Cincinnati Open.
Problems are beginning to arise with the new Masters format
Both the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open saw changes to their scheduling this year, with new structures implemented into the ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 events.
The two tournaments were extended to 12-day competitions, aligning them with the two-week format added in recent seasons.
It has meant that the already incredibly busy tennis calendar is now even more packed, and it has changed the typical layout of big events.
Finals were always played on a Sunday at Masters 1000s, but both championship matches at the 2025 Canadian Open were on a Thursday, with the Cincinnati Open title bouts occurring on a Monday.
Though extended championships mean more recovery time for players, it also results in a headache for upcoming tournaments; in this case, the US Open.
The first round of the mixed doubles event in the Big Apple takes place on Tuesday, the 19th of August, just a day after Alcaraz, Sinner, Iga Swiatek, and Jasmine Paolini wrap up their clashes in Cincinnati, three of whom are scheduled to play 24 hours later.
With such a short turnaround, the finalists will likely have to withdraw from commitments in their next campaigns.
It’s bad news for the fans, the players involved, and the US Open as a whole, which promised to showcase the very best in its opening week.
The current lineup for the US Open mixed doubles event
In the event that Sinner, Alcaraz and Swiatek are all present in the first round of the event, the mixed doubles tournament will boast an incredible lineup.
The ATP number one, who was initially partnered with Emma Navarro, will now play alongside Katerina Siniakova, while the Spaniard remains Emma Raducanu‘s teammate.
Swiatek and Casper Ruud are among the direct entrants, while wildcard duos such as Williams and Reilly Opelka headline.
Djokovic will team up with Serbian compatriot Olga Danilovic, and former US Open singles champion Naomi Osaka will take to the court with Gael Monfils.
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