U.S. open revamps mixed doubles format with $1M prize boost to attract top stars
Pranjal Chandra | THE TIMES OF INDIA NEWS SERVICE | Feb 11, 2025, 21:07 IST
( Image credit : AP )
Lew Sherr, USTA CEO, plans to boost fan interest by involving big names in mixed doubles at the U.S. Open. The event, set for August, features a faster, more exciting format and a $1 million prize pool. Prime-time TV coverage and simplified scheduling aim to attract top singles players, despite challenges for traditional doubles specialists.
Lew Sherr, executive director and CEO of the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA), emphasized that the primary goal is to engage more fans and bring global attention to doubles play.
“The key to growing the sport is getting the biggest names involved in doubles,” Sherr said. “Seeing them team up in a fresh, fast-paced format makes for an exciting competition, and we know fans will love it.”
The mixed doubles competition will take place on August 19 and 20, during the qualifying rounds for men’s and women’s singles, ensuring it does not interfere with the main tournament schedule. Singles play in the main draw begins on August 24.
A faster, more exciting format
Early-round mixed doubles matches will be played as best-of-three sets, but with shorter sets capped at four games. Tiebreakers will occur at 4-all instead of 6-6, and deciding points will be played at deuce to keep matches moving. If teams split sets, a 10-point match tiebreaker will determine the winner. Only the final will resemble a traditional Grand Slam match, featuring best-of-three sets played to six games with no-ad scoring and a 10-point match tiebreaker.
This revamped format follows the success of last year’s “Mixed Madness” exhibition event, which featured stars like Coco Gauff, Naomi Osaka, Nick Kyrgios, and Ben Shelton. That event, won by Stefanos Tsitsipas and Paula Badosa, demonstrated that top-tier players could be drawn to doubles when scheduling concerns are alleviated.
“We’ve had ongoing conversations about why singles players don’t participate in doubles,” Sherr said. “Last year’s Mixed Madness event showed us that if we remove scheduling conflicts and maintain fitness for singles, there’s a real opportunity to attract top talent.”
A grand slam-level prize pool
Last year’s exhibition carried a $500,000 prize, but this year’s official event doubles that amount, reinforcing its status as a legitimate Grand Slam championship rather than a casual exhibition.
“The athletes competed hard last year,” Sherr noted. “It wasn’t a fun exhibition; it was real competition. Now, with a Grand Slam title on the line, the stakes are even higher.”
Eight teams will gain direct entry based on combined singles rankings, while eight others will receive wild cards. Though Sherr declined to reveal committed players, he indicated that early commitments could be announced in the coming weeks.
The tournament will be played in the U.S. Open’s two largest stadiums, Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong, and will receive prime-time television coverage on ESPN, a rarity for doubles competitions.
Impact on doubles specialists
While the new format provides more exposure to mixed doubles, it does come at the expense of traditional doubles specialists, who will no longer have a 32-team mixed doubles Grand Slam event to compete in. To offset this, the USTA will redistribute the previous prize fund from mixed doubles to men’s and women’s doubles, ensuring those players still benefit financially.
“Some players will be disappointed they can’t compete in this event,” Sherr acknowledged. “But we believe there’s a major opportunity to elevate doubles as a whole. With mixed doubles getting a massive spotlight over two nights, it could bring more attention to men’s and women’s doubles as well.”
By reshaping the mixed doubles event into a high-profile competition, the U.S. Open is making a statement: doubles play deserves the same level of excitement, prestige, and star power as singles. The success of this format could shape the future of Grand Slam mixed doubles across the sport.
“The key to growing the sport is getting the biggest names involved in doubles,” Sherr said. “Seeing them team up in a fresh, fast-paced format makes for an exciting competition, and we know fans will love it.”
The mixed doubles competition will take place on August 19 and 20, during the qualifying rounds for men’s and women’s singles, ensuring it does not interfere with the main tournament schedule. Singles play in the main draw begins on August 24.
A faster, more exciting format
Early-round mixed doubles matches will be played as best-of-three sets, but with shorter sets capped at four games. Tiebreakers will occur at 4-all instead of 6-6, and deciding points will be played at deuce to keep matches moving. If teams split sets, a 10-point match tiebreaker will determine the winner. Only the final will resemble a traditional Grand Slam match, featuring best-of-three sets played to six games with no-ad scoring and a 10-point match tiebreaker.
This revamped format follows the success of last year’s “Mixed Madness” exhibition event, which featured stars like Coco Gauff, Naomi Osaka, Nick Kyrgios, and Ben Shelton. That event, won by Stefanos Tsitsipas and Paula Badosa, demonstrated that top-tier players could be drawn to doubles when scheduling concerns are alleviated.
“We’ve had ongoing conversations about why singles players don’t participate in doubles,” Sherr said. “Last year’s Mixed Madness event showed us that if we remove scheduling conflicts and maintain fitness for singles, there’s a real opportunity to attract top talent.”
A grand slam-level prize pool
Last year’s exhibition carried a $500,000 prize, but this year’s official event doubles that amount, reinforcing its status as a legitimate Grand Slam championship rather than a casual exhibition.
“The athletes competed hard last year,” Sherr noted. “It wasn’t a fun exhibition; it was real competition. Now, with a Grand Slam title on the line, the stakes are even higher.”
Eight teams will gain direct entry based on combined singles rankings, while eight others will receive wild cards. Though Sherr declined to reveal committed players, he indicated that early commitments could be announced in the coming weeks.
The tournament will be played in the U.S. Open’s two largest stadiums, Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong, and will receive prime-time television coverage on ESPN, a rarity for doubles competitions.
Impact on doubles specialists
While the new format provides more exposure to mixed doubles, it does come at the expense of traditional doubles specialists, who will no longer have a 32-team mixed doubles Grand Slam event to compete in. To offset this, the USTA will redistribute the previous prize fund from mixed doubles to men’s and women’s doubles, ensuring those players still benefit financially.
“Some players will be disappointed they can’t compete in this event,” Sherr acknowledged. “But we believe there’s a major opportunity to elevate doubles as a whole. With mixed doubles getting a massive spotlight over two nights, it could bring more attention to men’s and women’s doubles as well.”
By reshaping the mixed doubles event into a high-profile competition, the U.S. Open is making a statement: doubles play deserves the same level of excitement, prestige, and star power as singles. The success of this format could shape the future of Grand Slam mixed doubles across the sport.