A few hours after Taylor Fritz’s third-round match at the Cincinnati Open, the theme of his post-match press conference shifted from his tough victory against Lorenzo Sonego to the looming US Open mixed doubles tournament. The first question posed to him on this subject was carefully prefaced with the acknowledgment that mixed doubles was probably not his priority in the middle of one of the biggest tournaments in the world. As a grin spread across his face, Fritz quickly interjected: “It is a priority,” he said.
Fritz had been asked whether he had any sympathy for the frustrated doubles specialists who had been brushed aside to make room for the transformation of this event. From his perspective, the right players were in the draw: “I’ve seen a lot of people calling it like an exhibition, or it doesn’t count. I personally think this is the strongest mixed doubles field you’re going to see at a grand slam, in my opinion. If the mixed doubles teams that are in come in and win the event, then I’ll eat my words and say I’m wrong, but I personally think the level is going to be really high,” he said.
After six months of anticipation, the revamped US Open mixed-doubles tournament is finally here. Usually the domain of doubles specialists with the exception of the very occasional superstar pairing, mixed doubles rarely generates much fanfare and at the grand slams it has come to represent more opportunities for trophies and prize money for doubles specialists.
While the event usually runs at the same time as the rest of the grand slam main draws, this year it will be held in the week leading up to the start of the singles main draw. Sixteen teams will compete in a knockout draw across Tuesday and Wednesday. The first three rounds will be decided in abbreviated four-game sets while the final will be determined in standard six-game sets. The winners will take home $1m between them, an $800k increase on last year. In an era where the top players have largely spurned doubles due to the increased physical demands of singles competition, the ultimate aim of the event is to attract the stars.
For that reason, officials at the USTA already feel like the glittering player field and the interest it has generated has justified the move. The partnership between Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu has created countless headlines for months, but other distinguished entrants include Novak Djokovic alongside his compatriot Olga Danilovic, Iga Swiatek with Casper Ruud and Fritz alongside Elena Rybakina. The only doubles specialist team is the Italian defending champions, Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori.
Some aspects of this tournament, however, have been completely unserious. Jannik Sinner, the men’s No 1, said that he and his initial partner, Emma Navarro, had never spoken and their pairing had been orchestrated by the tournament itself. In a truly meaningful event, the players would be scrambling for the most advantageous pairings.
Since the initial entry list, numerous withdrawals have followed. Navarro’s withdrawal actually led Sinner to possibly find an even better partner in Katerina Siniakova, an 11-time grand slam champion. Jack Draper, meanwhile, is now on his third partner, Jessica Pegula, after his previous partners, Zheng Qinwen and Paula Badosa, withdrew from the US Open.
Despite how much it has changed, the draw makes for surreal viewing with so many prominent singles players present. The first two lines are particularly noteworthy: Alcaraz and Raducanu have been drawn against the top seeds, Draper and Jessica Pegula, meaning the British No 1s are scheduled to do battle on Tuesday afternoon.
Over the past few months on the tour, mixed doubles at the US Open has been a popular subject in player lounges at tournaments. Madison Keys, who is paired with Frances Tiafoe, says she has randomly received FaceTime calls from Tiafoe with questions about their partnership, such as which side she would prefer to play on. She also recalls a conversation with Sinner at Wimbledon where the Italian joked that he would be scared at the net if Rybakina was standing on the opposite baseline: “I’m like: ‘You’d kill all of us! What are you talking about?’”
Even on the eve of the tournament, there is still serious doubt surrounding the participation of some of the most prominent players in the draw. Alcaraz, Sinner and Swiatek are all competing in Cincinnati less than 24 hours before their first round mixed doubles matches in New York, meaning they will have an extremely short turnaround after a gruelling two-week event. Alternates should be ready.
The excitement from many of the singles players is counterbalanced by disappointment from doubles specialists who feel they have been pushed out of the event. Before she paired up with Sinner, Siniakova had entered with Marcelo Arévalo, her fellow No 1. Singles rankings determine the entry list so they did not come close to making the cut: “When two world No 1s in doubles don’t get into the tournament, there’s probably nothing more to say about it,” Siniakova said on Canal+. Ben Shelton, who is paired with the No 1 doubles player Taylor Townsend, is empathetic towards the doubles players’ frustrations.
Shelton says: “I totally understand the honour of playing mixed doubles and what a mixed doubles title means, especially to those guys and girls, and I feel for them that they’re not able to play this year. At the same time, I understand the business mind of the US Open and what they’re trying to do to generate more revenue, make their event more profitable and have more excitement around it. That’s the craziest lineup that you’ve seen at mixed doubles in your life.”
Quick Guide
Edmund announces retirement
Show
The former British No 1 Kyle Edmund has announced his retirement from tennis at the age of 30.
Edmund won two ATP titles and became only the second British man after Sir Andy Murray to reach the semi-finals of the Australian Open in 2018. He was part of the Great Britain team that won the Davis Cup for the first time in 79 years, and also represented his country at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.
Unfortunately, Edmund’s ascent into the world’s top 50 corresponded with a knee injury that required three operations and kept him off the tour for almost two years.
In a statement issued by the Lawn Tennis Association, Edmund said: “The last five years have taken a toll with three surgeries and other injuries [and] my body is telling me it’s finally reached the end point. Looking back I can say I tried my absolute best in my career and my hardest to get back to where I was. There are no regrets whatsoever.”
Edmund, who defeated Novak Djokovic at the ATP Masters in 2018, made progress in his latest comeback attempt but decided the Nottingham Challenger final defeat against Jack Pinnington Jones last month would be his last match.
He said on social media: “Of course to beat Novak, probably the greatest player of all time, was a great feeling and probably the biggest scalp of my career. I spent four or five years trying to come back and was never fully able to reach my goal. But over the next few weeks and months it will be a nice time to reflect and spend more time with my family and appreciate the journey.” PA Media
A longtime member of the WTA player council, Pegula questions the US Open’s decision to make such a significant change without properly consulting the players, a common complaint among players. Communication with players, she believes, could have actually addressed some of these problems: “I felt like that was a really good example where we were like: ‘OK, you guys just kind of went rogue and changed the whole entire format and didn’t tell anybody, and you just kind of did it.’ And it was kind of like: ‘Did you talk to the players? Did you get input, maybe on how it could have been better?’” she said.
In the same breath, though, Pegula expresses her excitement for the tournament ahead. This will not be the defining moment of any of these players’ careers, but they are intensely competitive beings who step on to the tennis court every day with the intention of winning, regardless of the format. For at least 30 minutes of their lives, this event will be a priority for many. Keys concludes: “I mean, there’s a grand slam trophy on the line and have you seen the prize money? I’m gonna try real hard.”
