Tennis, a globally popular sport, sees passionate followings across all formats: singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. However, sudden rule changes can spark a major backlash among fans and players alike. Need an example? Look no further than the inaugural GS of 2024, where Novak Djokovic criticized the chair umpire for unnecessary delays as spectators moved freely between games because of a relaxed rule change. Now, another GS, the US Open, has come under the spotlight for a bizarre doubles rule change, prompting a powerful reaction from the 31-year-old Frenchwoman, who has now shared her thoughts.
The 2024 US Open Mixed Doubles featured a 32-team main draw, including eight wild-card entries and eight seeded pairs based on their doubles rankings. To achieve the title, teams had to battle through five rounds of intense competition from the get-go. The event kicked off on August 28, 2024, two days after the main draw began, ultimately crowning Italy’s Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori as the winners on 5th September.
According to a fan rumor, the 2025 US Open Mixed Doubles will undergo three major changes.:
The number of teams in the draw will be reduced from 32 last year to 16 this year
Matches will begin during the qualifying week instead of when the main draw starts
All the teams participating might be selected based on singles rankings rather than doubles
And, as soon as one of the renowned reporters shared this update on social media, Kristina Mladenovic, aka Kiki, didn’t hold back, expressing her raw thoughts on the matter.
On 4th February, one of the fan’s pages on X (formerly Twitter) shared one tweet, explaining “US Open News,” stating, “Men’s & women’s doubles will start Friday of the first main draw week, rather than Wednesday. Mixed doubles will be played on the qualifying week (planning a Tuesday start) and will consist of 16 teams. Eight teams based on singles entry and eight wildcard teams,”.
As soon as José Morgado, a Portuguese tennis reporter, shared the news while quoting, “What in the world are this Mixed Doubles news? ”, Kristina Mladenovic fired back.
What in the world are this Mixed Doubles news? https://t.co/PXd15QrAEL
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) February 3, 2025
She added, “Terribly shocking news! Doing that just to sell more money during first week of the event. Making it look like an exhibition for whoever wants to play! What about players playing singles Q that want/could with their doubles ranking play mixed?”.
Kristina Mladenovic is a nine-time GS champion who reached a career-high WTA singles ranking of 10 and held the No. 1 doubles ranking. The French star claimed the 2013 Wimbledon and 2014 Australian Open mixed double titles alongside Daniel Nestor and later added the 2022 Australian Open title with Ivan Dodig. However, Kiki’s 2025 AO mixed doubles campaign didn’t go as planned, as she and Dodig suffered an early first-round exit from the tournament.
With the US Open set to begin on 24th August this year, these proposed changes will significantly impact the mixed doubles schedule and players’ ability to participate. Perhaps this isn’t the first change the tournament has introduced over the years, which stirred controversy and affected the competition.
US Open 2024: Changes keep coming for the much-fabled tournament
Imagine if MLB fans were told they couldn’t grab a beer during the game or NBA spectators had to wait until a quarter ended to use the washroom. Sounds unrealistic, isn’t it?
ell, a similar rule was first introduced at the 2024 Australian Open and later adopted by the US Open. However, for the American GS, the policy allowed fans to move freely across all tournament venues, from the massive 23,859-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium to the 336-seat courts like Courts No. 8-16, at any time. And, since this was a first for the GS, many players were visibly frustrated during the tournament’s opening week.
Daria Kasatkina, then 12 seed playing at Court No. 7 shared her remarks about the rule after the post-match press conference. “It’s tough to compare with other sports, because tennis is one against one, and you’re very focused. With team sports, there can be 10 or 20 players moving all the time. Also with team sports, it’s loud from the beginning to the end and you get used to the noise when it’s constant. When you’re playing in silence and then just some noise comes from somewhere. you notice it,” she added.
Tournament referee Jake Garner also acknowledged the fact later, stating, “This could take some getting used to, from the players’ point of view. It might be seen as a radical thing for tennis, but I’m not sure trying to increase the fan experience and making it more enjoyable for them should be that radical.”
Similarly, Coco Gauff also expressed her thoughts rather positively. “Doesn’t really bother me that much,” she added. With the US Open approaching this August, do you think this rule change in mixed doubles is justified, or do you have a different take? Share your thoughts below!
The post US Open’s Major Rule Change Faces Massive Criticism As WTA Pro Delivers a Brutal Response appeared first on EssentiallySports.
