Particle.news

U.S. Open Mixed Doubles Draw Set as Star-Studded Main Draw Begins

A two-day shortened-format tournament awarding a $1 million winners' prize shifts focus to singles stars, prompting criticism from doubles specialists.

Overview

  • The mixed-doubles draw was finalized and the main draw began on Aug. 25 with first-round and quarterfinal matches scheduled across Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong stadiums.
  • Top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic are the No. 1 team and are slated to start at Arthur Ashe, while wild-card pairing Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz are scheduled for a prime-time Arthur Ashe slot.
  • Qualifying concluded with Katerina Siniaková/Henry Patten and Erin Routliffe/Lloyd Glasspool advancing into the 16-team field after winning two qualifying matches.
  • Matches through the semifinals use short sets to four games with no-ad scoring, tiebreakers at 4-4 and a 10-point super tiebreak to decide a third set, with the final reverting to standard six-game sets and a 10-point tiebreak in lieu of a third set.
  • U.S. TV and streaming coverage is on ESPN networks and ESPN+ across Aug. 25–26, the event carries a reported $1 million winners' prize, and the USTA's singles-first entry rules have forced many top doubles specialists into qualifying, raising questions about the format's impact on doubles players and on how the event may evolve.