The US Open mixed doubles event has already seen some big-name withdrawals and more may follow after a tight turnaround at the conclusion of this week’s marquee tournament in Cincinnati.
The final big event before the last Grand Slam of the year has a Monday finish next week, as the extended format of ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 tournaments sees events spread over almost two weeks.
With this week’s tournament starting in a mid-week slot as it followed extended men’s and women’s events in Canada, the traditional weekend finish for tennis tournaments has been ripped up for the two big warm-up events ahead of the US Open.
While the flight to New York is not taxing for tennis players who are used to extensive travelling, the finalists in Cincinnati will have a decision to make if they play a tough final on Monday and are then expected to be at Flushing Meadows to take part in the new-look mixed doubles event that gets underway next Wednesday.
Carlos Alcaraz is due to play alongside Emma Raducanu in that tournament, while Jannik Sinner is scheduled to compete with America’s Emma Navarro.
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Yet if we are treated to another Alcaraz vs Sinner epic in the Cincinnati Masters final on Monday, neither player may have the appetite to play in mixed doubles the following day in New York.
If rain delays the final in Cincinnati, that would further complicate the issue and may end the debate over whether the top two players in the men’s game will play in the mixed doubles at the US Open.
Iga Swiatek is also progressing in Cincinnati and could face a quick turnaround if she continues her run, with Coco Gauff among those opting against playing in the lucrative mixed doubles event as she has prioritised her preparation for the US Open singles, which gets underway the following weekend.
“For me, it was just because I know the free week of the US Open is already packed for me, for sponsor things, and it was just like a whole other thing. And I’m very competitive; if I were to lose, I would not be happy,” the two-time Grand Slam winner revealed. “So, I didn’t want to waste mental energy on that.
“Then on top of the sponsor stuff, the pre-week, and then knowing that this finished on Monday and potentially having to play on Tuesday. Well, you would have to play on a Tuesday. So I just knew it wasn’t going to work out for me, scheduling-wise.
“It’s just that I plan my sponsor weeks literally like a year out, sometimes a year and a half out. And when this whole thing was coming up, I was already booked and busy.”
Respected coach of Wimbledon doubles champion Julian Cash told Tennis365 last month that he expected plenty of big-name withdrawals from the US Open mixed doubles, with Barry Fulcher telling this website that the format of the competition means it should not come with a Grand Slam title being handed to the winners.
“This exhibition event will be great fun, but it is not a Grand Slam and it shouldn’t be viewed as such,” Fulcher told Tennis365.
“It’s not just about the prize money and more about removing a mixed doubles Grand Slam opportunity.
“My own personal view, it is all just posturing at the moment and I will be fascinated to see how many of those 16 pairings that were announced a few weeks ago will turn up and play.
“I’d be very, very surprised if a lot of those pairs end up taking to the court and the only reason they would release that list is to get everyone talking about it.
“It’s almost like they have put their names down, but there is no obligation to play.
“For me, the best doubles pairing on that list they released is Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori and it will be interesting to see if some doubles players who end up playing if the singles players drop out.
“I’m a fan of innovation and trying to bring new things into tennis, but I don’t agree with calling it a Grand Slam event.”
The eight teams in the field of the 2025 US Open Mixed Doubles Championship via direct entry are:
Emma Navarro and Jannik Sinner
Paula Badosa and Jack Draper
Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud
Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz
Amanda Anisimova and Holger Rune
Belinda Bencic and Alexander Zverev
Jessica Pegula and Tommy Paul
Mirra Andreeva and Daniil Medvedev
In addition, six teams received wild cards into the field:
Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz
Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe
Olga Danilovic and Novak Djokovic
Taylor Townsend and Ben Shelton
Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori
Venus Williams and Reilly Opelka
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