The foolproof formula for turning the US Open appetizer into a success

BarcelonaTop-level tennis players aren't resting. On Monday night, Carlos Alcaraz won the Cincinnati Masters 1000 after seeing his opponent, Jannik Sinner, withdraw from the final due to illness. The two players who dominate the world tour seem destined to fight to win the final Grand Slam of the season, the US Open, which begins this Sunday, but it's hard to know how they'll be in shape after seeing the Tyrolean player feeling dizzy. Furthermore, Alcaraz was supposed to play in the innovative US Open mixed doubles tournament launched this year by the U.S. Tennis Federation. Sinner was also supposed to, but decided to withdraw after his scare.

Alcaraz and Sinner flew from Ohio to New York to headline this mixed doubles draw, which has revolutionized the tour and generated heated debate. The week before the start of the singles draw is spent watching the best players on tour pair up in action in the mixed doubles tournament. The proposal, announced last February, aims to generate more viewers and bring more spectators to the Flushing Meadows facilities during the first week of the tournament. The goal is to see the best players in an innovative and modern format. And to get everyone on board, they've implemented a formula that always works: money. The winning pair will take home one million dollars. But right from the start, they were left without Sinner and Alcaraz, who were eliminated in the first round.

Alcaraz was paired with young Briton Emma Raducanu and debuted against locals Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper, but they were already eliminated in the first match. Sinner was scheduled to partner with Katerina Siniakova and face Belinda Bencic and Alexander Zverev. If one member of the pair withdraws, the other cannot find a new partner, so Siniakova will not be able to participate in the tournament. Male and female players have shown less enthusiasm than female players, although the format does not work against them: they debut directly in the quarterfinals, everything is played in two days, with short matches of three sets and four games. And with a good cash prize. The organizers recently saw how it was confirmed that they would lose one of the big draws of the mixed doubles tournament, the pairing of Catalan Paula Badosa and Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, a couple in real life until recently. But since they have had a falling out, they now do not want to play together.

Criticism among doubles experts

The move to this format has angered players who specialize in doubles, who see themselves losing an opportunity to shine, as complained Scottish player Jamie Murray. "I understand they want to enhance the spectacle, but the prize money will now go to players who are already the highest earners. For them, it won't be like winning a Grand Slam; it will be a cash prize and a spectacle," complained a man who has already won the US Open mixed doubles, but received a smaller prize money.

Only one pairing that has been dominating the doubles scene for years has been invited to the new format: Italians Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, champions in 2024. The two champions, critical of the change, were initially not included in the proposal, but have finally been given a place. If the Italians win, they would pocket five times more than they earned a year ago. "They play because they get a lot of money, for nothing more," Murray complained. Just for being there, wild cards already earn $50,000. Serbian Novak Djokovic was one of those most interested, partnering with his compatriot Olga Danilovic. "I think it's going to be a lot of fun," said the player with the most Grand Slam titles in history.

Of the 32 players announced, 21 are among the top 20 in the world. The organizers have opted to invite the best singles players, mixing them together to generate interest, even if they aren't doubles experts. This has also secured a good television contract to broadcast the tournament in the United States on ESPN until 2037, for a very high sum of money. Mixed doubles was first played in 1887 and has a long tradition, although it doesn't usually attract the same audiences as men's or women's doubles. The dominant players on the men's and women's circuits tend to ignore it, prioritizing the singles tournament. The other Grand Slam tournaments, Wimbledon, Roland Garros, and Australia, theoretically don't plan to follow the US Open's lead.