US Open revamps mixed doubles format, increases prize money
FILE PHOTO: Sep 8, 2018; New York, NY, USA; A general view of Arthur Ashe Stadium during the national anthem prior to the match between Serena Williams of the United States and Naomi Osaka of Japan (both not pictured) in the women's final on day thirteen of the 2018 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports/ File Photo
The U.S. Open mixed doubles competition will now be played before the singles main draw, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) said on Tuesday as it announced an overhaul of the category's format and an increase in prize money.
The U.S. Open will also extend its main singles draw to 15 days, starting a day earlier on Sunday August 24 for the tournament's first weekend start in the Open Era.
The mixed doubles competition will be staged from August 19-20 and feature a $1 million winners' prize - a significant increase on the $200,000 pocketed by winners Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori last year.
"We'll be scheduling mixed doubles on the centre stage and enabling more fans worldwide to enjoy the thrill of watching their favourite stars compete for this coveted Grand Slam Championship title," USTA chief Lew Sherr said in a statement.
"By giving the competition its own spotlight, we're elevating mixed doubles to put an even greater focus on the incredible talent we have across the sport."
The competition's format has also been overhauled, with 16 teams participating - half the 32 that competed last year.
Eight teams will earn direct entry via their combined singles ranking. The other eight will be wild-card entries.
Early matches will be best-of-three sets played to four games, with a tiebreak at 4-4 and a 10-point match tiebreak instead of a third set, while the final will be a best-of-three set match to six games.
All matches will be played in Arthur Ashe Stadium or Louis Armstrong Stadium - the main show courts at Flushing Meadows.
"As a player who enjoys competing in doubles, I'm excited for the opportunity to play the 2025 U.S. Open mixed doubles Championship during the first week," world number five Jessica Pegula said in a statement.
"I appreciate the importance of innovation and exploring new ways to engage more fans and grow our sport."
