NEW YORK — Think about Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu competing collectively for a Grand Slam trophy. How about Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe as a duo? Iga Swiatek alongside Casper Ruud? Or Naomi Osaka with Nick Kyrgios?
These are among the many high-wattage pairs on Tuesday’s preliminary entry record for the reimagined US Open blended doubles event Aug. 19-20, earlier than singles competitors begins Aug. 24.
Ten of the highest 11 ladies within the WTA singles rankings — Coco Gauff, who simply gained the French Open for her second Grand Slam title, is the one one lacking — and 10 of the highest 11 males on the ATP tour, together with No. 1 Jannik Sinner and 24-time main champion Novak Djokovic, have registered to compete for the $1 million prime prize that will likely be break up by the winners, an $800,000 improve over final yr.
“Take a look at the sector we now have,” mentioned Stacey Allaster, who’s in her ultimate yr as U.S. Open event director. “It will be improbable for the followers.”
It is a star-studded group that could be a far cry from the combo of doubles specialists normally present in a Grand Slam blended doubles bracket. Some criticized the adjustments after they had been introduced in February, with Errani and Vavassori calling the brand new format a “pseudo-exhibition centered solely on leisure and present” that will shut out doubles gamers.
Pegula and Fritz had been final yr’s singles runners-up in New York, whereas Ruud, Zverev and 2025 Australian Open champion Keys even have been finalists on the U.S. Open.
“There’s nothing I have been extra enthusiastic about, energized about, than this occasion and what it should signify for the game going ahead: a possibility to innovate and current the game in a different way,” mentioned Lew Sherr, who not too long ago introduced he’ll be leaving as chief government of the U.S. Tennis Affiliation to change into president of enterprise operations with the New York Mets. “It is the one sport of any significance [with] women and men on the identical subject of play, on the identical time, competing all out towards each other.”
The blended doubles occasion is shrinking from 32 pairs to 16, and there’s a shortened format — first-to-four-games units till the ultimate; no-ad scoring; match tiebreakers as an alternative of a 3rd set.
Gamers nonetheless have time to enroll earlier than the July 28 cutoff, and there’s no assure that the 16 groups introduced Tuesday will truly be within the attract New York. The highest eight groups primarily based on their mixed singles rating will routinely get into the sector; the opposite eight pairings will obtain wild playing cards decided by a USTA committee.
“As soon as there was an understanding of what the occasion was, (gamers) went and ran with it,” mentioned Eric Butorac, USTA senior director of participant relations and enterprise growth. “They discovered their very own companions — whether or not it was a friendship, a countryman or some even teaming up with a accomplice that they’ve off the courtroom.”
