Mixed Doubles Tournament Revamp Sparks Controversy Among Doubles Specialists
Grand Slam singles champions, including Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek, are set to compete for a staggering $1 million in the revamped mixed doubles tournament at the U.S. Open. This significant prize increase from last year’s $200,000 has attracted top singles players, but not everyone is celebrating.
Defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, the only dedicated doubles team in the competition, expressed their discontent. Errani described the changes as “sad” and “nonsense,” highlighting the exclusion of true doubles specialists from a Grand Slam event.
“Imagine if Olympic high jumpers were replaced by basketball players because it’s more ‘interesting,’” Errani remarked, emphasizing the unfairness of sidelining dedicated athletes in favor of star power. “You can’t have a Grand Slam doubles trophy without doubles players.”
Top seeds Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper are gearing up for their matches, with Draper facing challenges after losing two partners to injuries. Their first opponents could be the highly anticipated duo of Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu.
Other notable pairings include Sinner with Katerina Siniakova, Swiatek with Casper Ruud, and Venus Williams teaming up with Reilly Opelka. The excitement is palpable, as Taylor Fritz noted, “The prize money is great; we’re 100% there to try to win it.”
Frances Tiafoe echoed this sentiment, stating that the prize money motivated many players to participate. The tournament format has also undergone significant changes: sets will now be played to four games instead of six, with no-ad scoring and match tiebreakers replacing a third set.
With only 16 teams competing instead of the usual 32, the selection process has raised eyebrows. Half of the teams are based on singles rankings, while the other half were chosen by the U.S. Tennis Association, leading some to question the legitimacy of the event.
Canadian Gaby Dabrowski, a two-time mixed doubles champion, attempted to enter the tournament with Felix Auger-Aliassime but was not selected for a wild card. “Do I think it’s a true mixed doubles championship? No,” she stated, voicing concerns about the lack of participation from actual doubles players.
Doubles specialists feel marginalized by this new format, which they believe undermines their contributions to the sport. Joe Salisbury, a seasoned doubles player, acknowledged that while having top names in doubles might attract attention, it risks diluting the integrity of the event.
Tournament director Stacey Allaster defended the changes, asserting that this is indeed a Grand Slam championship and not an exhibition. “We’re sympathetic to the doubles specialists who don’t like this change,” she said. “But we believe that featuring top players will inspire more fans to engage with tennis and ultimately grow the sport.”
