“We see it as a profound injustice, that disrespect an entire category of players…Put money above tennis is never a good idea”, Italy’s Andre Vavassori, a reigning US Open mixed doubles winner along with partner Sara Errani, was left upset earlier this season when the US Open revealed a major overhaul ahead of the 2025 edition. Now, the format will see a reduced number of teams – 16 from 32. Additionally, the matches will be held during Fan Week. The sets will comprise four games, not six. And recently, the organizers announced that top singles players in the world like Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek, Jannik Sinner, and Aryna Sabalenka will compete in the mixed doubles category. Per Vavassori, this change is a “pseudo-exhibition focused only on entertainment and show.” However, a former American icon believes otherwise. In fact, he’s issued a harsh reality check on the situation of doubles in tennis.
Just a few days back, the official IG account of the US Open shocked the community with the mixed doubles announcement. “A STAR-STUDDED lineup of teams have officially entered the reimagined US Open Mixed Doubles Championship!” The likes of Elena Rybakina, Taylor Fritz, Emma Raducanu, Naomi Osaka, Paula Badosa, Mirra Andreeva, and Ben Shelton will be seen in pairs, trying to compete for the top prize. Ever since the news came out, there’s been a huge buzz going on among the fans. Many of them are still reeling from shock, wondering if this update was real. After all, how often do you see Alcaraz, Sinner, Shelton, Swiatek, and Sabalenka coming together to play doubles?
That’s exactly what ex-American pro and 2003 US Open winner Andy Roddick believes. According to him, the overhaul introduced is going to put focus back on the doubles game in tennis. Why? Because the format’s been struggling to generate engagement. “I was all for this coz people were like, ‘Oh we have to grow the game of doubles’. So you can’t take that away from a doubles that people don’t watch regularly. And that was confusing to me.” But now, “you get nine out of the top ten on each side, biggest stars on Earth and then some. This is going to bring more eyeballs to the game of doubles.”
Image Credits: Imago
Roddick did acknowledge that ‘Specialist’ mixed doubles players may lose their jobs due to this change. “But if your net-net most important thing, which is the defense that I get when people get mad at me when I talk about doubles, is ‘We have to grow the game of doubles’, there is not a better way to grow the game of doubles than to have the biggest stars on Earth playing doubles featured ESPN prime time in the lead-up to the US Open.” For him, “This is the All-Star game for tennis.”
And guess what? Roddick isn’t the only notable figure to voice such sentiments. In fact, a former doubles slam winner and his compatriot also thinks the big move from the US Open organizers was necessary.
Former US Open doubles champion shares and honest thoughts
Coco Vandeweghe, an ex-WTA pro who won the 2018 US Open women’s doubles title with Ashleigh Barty, also thinks the current situation of the mixed doubles is worrisome. She believes that people are more inclined toward the singles nowadays. “I just don’t think doubles sells in the same way that singles does,” Vandeweghe said during an episode of the Tennis Channel live podcast back in March.
Explaining her point, she continued, “we’re seeing just such a different generation of athlete out there on the singles court. You have Carlos Alcaraz sliding around the court. You have Coco Gauff playing unbelievable tennis. And that’s what sells for our sport. And I think the doubles players just need to realize that.” To add weight to her perspective, there are some key figures available as well.
Take for example, the 2023 Wimbledon singles final between Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic. The Spaniard defeated the 24-time slam king to clinch his maiden grass slam title. Now, according to the BBC, this match attracted 15 million viewers from the UK. Moreover, the peak audience on BBC One was 11.3 million. It was the highest viewership for a singles final at the All England Club since Andy Murray’s 2016 victory over Milos Raonic. That encounter drew 13.3 million people. And then there’s a similar example on the WTA side too.
Remember Coco Gauff’s 2023 campaign at the US Open? The then 19-year-old American star stunned Aryna Sabalenka in the summit clash at the Flushing Meadows. Her triumph eventually attracted 3.4 million viewers on ESPN. It was a new record on the network for a women’s singles major final. And guess what? This match even beat the 2023 men’s singles final between Djokovic and Daniil Medvedev, according to Front Office Sports.
Coming back to the 2025 US Open and its mixed doubles event, the organizers have also boosted the prize money. This year, the amount will be $1 million for the winning team. It’s 400 percent more than last season’s figure of $200,000. What are your thoughts on the mixed doubles revamp introduced for the upcoming edition? Let us know in the comments below.
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