Tennis fans are in for a spectacular treat as the 2025 US Open redefines its mixed doubles event with some of the biggest names in the sport stepping onto the court together. Among the dazzling line-up are Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu, Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios, Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe, and Iga Swiatek paired with Casper Ruud — all part of the revamped tournament that promises fast-paced action and high entertainment value.
Scheduled for August 19-20, just before the main singles competition begins on August 24, this reimagined format will feature only 16 mixed doubles teams, down from the traditional 32. The format itself is drastically different — matches will be played in sets to four games with no-ad scoring and a match tiebreaker instead of a third set, adding intensity and shortening match duration for a more dynamic viewer experience.
This edition has drawn interest from 10 of the top 11 ATP and WTA players, with only Coco Gauff missing from the women’s side. The competition will see tennis titans like Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, Daniil Medvedev, Aryna Sabalenka, and Elena Rybakina joining the fray. The prize purse has also been elevated significantly — $1 million for the winners, marking an $800,000 increase over last year’s top prize.
Tournament director Stacey Allaster, in her final year at the helm, called the lineup “fantastic for fans,” highlighting the uniqueness of such high-profile participation in a format traditionally dominated by doubles specialists. Among the other notable duos listed are Sabalenka with Grigor Dimitrov, Djokovic with Olga Danilovic, Sinner with Emma Navarro, and Rybakina with Taylor Fritz.
2024 mixed doubles champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori also return, though they previously criticized the new format as overly focused on entertainment rather than sport. Despite the pushback, this year’s entry list features eight Grand Slam singles champions and five past finalists, a significant shift from the typical pairings seen in the past.
USTA CEO Lew Sherr, who is transitioning to the New York Mets, described the format as “the most exciting innovation for the sport” — emphasizing that tennis is one of the few global sports where men and women compete together in the same game, adding a unique appeal to the event.
Entry remains open until July 28, and while the current 16 teams are preliminary, only the top eight pairs by combined singles ranking will qualify automatically. The remaining eight slots will be granted as wild cards by a USTA committee. Players chose their partners based on various factors — including nationality, friendships, or off-court relationships — according to Eric Butorac, USTA’s senior director of player relations.
With a mix of elite athletes and crowd favorites, the 2025 US Open mixed doubles promises an electric atmosphere, reshaping how tennis is experienced by fans around the world.
