US Open announces star-studded line-up for their controversial mixed doubles "pseudo-exhibition" tournament

The US Open has announced the mixed doubles entry list. Some of the best male and female tennis players in the world will be paired in this pseudo-exhibition mini-tournament, to be played in the qualifying week before the main US Open begins (on 19-20 August). This format has been hugely controversial between mixed doubles players, as the category lost its status, with shorter matches and the presence of pro tennis players instead of usual mixed doubles players.

That way, the US Open Mixed Doubles Championship will feature a star-studded line-up including couples that sometimes feel like fan cast (like Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz, after gossip of a romantic relationship) and leaves out many real players from that category.

However, it must be said that this list of 16 teams is not definitive: the entry window will close on July 28, at which time the top eight teams with the best combined singles ranking at the time will officially be in the draw via direct acceptance, and the remaining eight spots will be determined by wild card.

Currently, nine of the top ten in men's and women's s rankings are in the teams. Those are:

• Emma Navarro and Jannik Sinner


• Zheng Qinwen and Jack Draper


• Jessica Pegula and Tommy Paul


• Jasmine Paolini and Lorenzo Musetti


• Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz


• Mirra Andreeva and Daniil Medvedev


• Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe


• Aryna Sabalenka and Grigor Dimitrov


• Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud


• Paula Badosa and Stefanos Tsitsipas


• Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz


• Belinda Bencic and Alexander Zverev


• Olga Danilovic and Novak Djokovic


• Taylor Townsend and Ben Shelton


• Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori


• Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios

Best of three sets, with only four games

The matches, however, will be very short: best-of-three-set, with only four games in each set games, no-ad scoring, tiebreakers at four-all and a 10-point match tiebreak in the case of a third set. The final, with $1 million in prize money for the team, will consist on best of three sets with six games, but still no advantage, all of them to be played to the US Open Fan Week, so that more singles starts can participate.

This was received very negatively from doubles and mixed-doubles players, who not only have been relegated outside of the real tournament, with many having to give their places to tennis stars (last year's mixed doubles winners Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori are in the initial list, but could have difficulty joining in given their low singles ranking).

All while US Open says in its official statement that their goal is "to drive greater awareness for this storied competition", while US Open director Stacey Allaster talks about "making the game more accessible and entertaining for fans with their broadcast partners fully bought-in".