Revamped US Open mixed doubles creative way to get 'more eyes' on tennis

The US Open ruffled some feathers last year by overhauling its mixed doubles competition to encourage the world's top singles players to participate.

The changes included moving the event up to the US Open Fan Week, shortening sets to four games until the final, eliminating ad scoring, and increasing the championship prize money to $1 million.

Although not everyone agreed with the revamped format, it was an undeniable hit, as 78,000 fans flocked to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center over the two-day tournament to watch the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, and Iga Swiatek.

There'll surely be just as much excitement - if not more - for this year's set of players, especially after Serena Williams received a main-draw wild card to play with Alcaraz.

After experiencing the buzz of the sold-out crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium during her first-round matchup against Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud last year, 2025 Australian Open champion Madison Keys says tennis needs more events like this to better connect with a younger audience.

"There are definitely opportunities to shake things up a little bit and get away from the tennis purist ways that we've kind of been in to get more people to play, get more eyes on the sport, and all of that," Keys said. "But I say that, and I'm also like the purist tennis purist ever. So, I fight change more than anyone.

"The way that the US Open did it was really, really entertaining. I like the way the Australian Open did that (million-dollar) 1 Point Slam. ... There are so many creative ways that we can get more eyes on the sport. I think the sport is incredibly exciting right now, so I think if you can just get people to kind of buy in for that first step, then they'll be hooked."

The first iteration of the new-look mixed doubles competition was refreshing for the players, too.

Swiatek, who fell in last year's final to Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, enjoyed the change of scenery amid the usual grind of the WTA schedule.

"I think it really helped me to have that freshness and to mix it up a little bit because we're playing the same kind of tournaments throughout the whole year," Swiatek told theScore. "This was much different and so much fun playing with Casper as well."

Mirra Andreeva loved her mixed doubles experience with Daniil Medvedev so much that she didn't hesitate to throw her hat in the ring again. The teen sensation relished the chance to learn from the former World No. 1 and pursue a major trophy with her countryman.

"It was very interesting to just spend some time with him, talk, and just see how he approaches some things," said Andreeva, who'll form another all-Russian duo with Andrey Rublev this year. "At the same time, I like to play doubles. To have an opportunity to play mixed doubles with one of the best ATP players there are … I decided to go for it and take it."

Meanwhile, Jessica Pegula's relationship with her mixed doubles partner, Jack Draper, initially wasn't as deep as some of the other pairings in the field. In fact, the American believes they hadn't even said two words to each other before going to battle together at last year's US Open because they didn't run in the same circles.

Despite their lack of familiarity, the tandem reached the final four in Flushing Meadows and has since become friends. Pegula credits their deep run with preparing her for a singles semifinal appearance and laying the groundwork for a strong finish to the previous campaign.

"I think that definitely helps being able to play with little bit of pressure, a full crowd, (and) a nice atmosphere," said Pegula, who'll team up with Taylor Fritz after Draper withdrew due to a lingering arm injury. "Just to get out there and being able to win a few matches, I think that's always going to give you a little bit of confidence, no matter what.

"You always hope that it's the case where it helps you in singles. Obviously, you could lose first round, and it maybe doesn't really do much for you. … Coming off a tough summer where I didn't really have great results, I think that it definitely really helped and kind of propelled me into having a really good US Open and Asian swing as well."

The biggest criticism of the 2025 US Open mixed doubles event was the lack of traditional doubles specialists, as Errani and Vavassori were the only true pairing to represent the group.

This year's edition will feature an additional qualifying round on Aug. 24, with eight duos vying for the last two spots in the competition's 16-team main draw, which begins a day later, followed by the semifinals and final on Wednesday.

While it's not a perfect solution, Errani says it's an "improvement" over last year, noting that more of her doubles peers will have the opportunity to compete, including current World No. 1s Katerina Siniakova and Henry Patten.

Siniakova, for her part, recognizes both the importance of having top-ranked doubles players in the bracket and the pressure that comes with it.

"I loved seeing the Italians win it last year because it was really fun to watch," Siniakova told theScore. "I think a lot of fans could see that doubles is something different because they really knew what they were doing against the singles players. But I think we definitely know that we have the target on our backs."

Errani has captured six women's doubles majors and four mixed doubles Grand Slams. But last year's US Open mixed doubles crown alongside Vavassori was "special," as if they were playing for all the doubles players.

Though the Italian veteran was among the biggest critics of the American Slam's sweeping changes, she complimented last year's event for drawing full crowds at Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Confident that there are plenty of doubles tennis fans, Errani believes the mixed doubles competition can increase visibility for her contemporaries.

"I think that the people in general need to know the person, the stories of everyone. ... When you know the stories, you like the player more," Errani told theScore. "Why do you love good singles players? Because you know them, you follow them, you know their stories. I feel that it can be like that, even for doubles players."