Tennis players Zverev and Bencic set for an early match in the US Open's mixed doubles event
US Open Mixed Doubles Competition Faces Criticism with New Format
The 2025 US Open Mixed Doubles Competition is underway, but not without controversy. The tournament, held mid-week before the main draw of the Grand Slam tournament and over just two days (August 19 and 20), has seen a change in format that has raised eyebrows among some players and fans.
Matches are being played in the main stadiums with shortened sets and held in a best-of-three sets format, except for the final which uses a 10-point match tiebreak. This change has been seen as making the event feel more like an exhibition than a true Grand Slam competition.
The revamped format and schedule favor singles stars and cut down the traditional doubles specialist participation. Alexander Zverev and Belinda Bencic, both top singles players, lost in the first round to the American pair Danielle Collins and Christian Harrison. Zverev, who is the world number three, seemed to be dealing with physical issues from his previous appearance at the Masters-1000 tournament in Cincinnati.
Zverev and Bencic struggled in the first set, making too many unforced errors, and a double fault by Bencic ended the match after 41 minutes. The score was 0:4, 3:5.
The competition format is causing criticism, particularly from traditional doubles specialists like Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, who are experienced doubles players and the eventual champions. They criticized the changes because many regular doubles players had limited opportunity to compete for the $1 million prize, which the new format and selection criteria impacted.
Some critics argue the shortened format and the inclusion mainly of singles players diluted the prestige of winning the mixed doubles title at this US Open, with one commentator calling it "not a legitimate MXD champion" year and criticizing the USTA for the format change.
However, some players and organizers see positives, such as increased fan engagement and attendance, including packed stadiums and more exposure for mixed doubles by involving singles stars. The second round of the mixed doubles competition will take place on Tuesday (local time), with a total of 16 teams competing for the title.
[1] New York Times [2] ESPN [3] BBC Sport [4] CNN
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