The revamped 2025 US Open mixed doubles will likely involve a high-profile pair after Stefanos Tsitsipas confirmed that he and girlfriend Paula Badosa planned to compete.
Tsitsipas and Badosa played in last year’s mixed doubles at Flushing Meadows. The Greek made some negative headlines for slamming his racket, frightening Badosa in the process, who was not expecting that to happen.
The inclusion of high-profile singles players like Tsitsipas and Badosa in the mixed doubles at Grand Slams has been rare. ATP and WTA stars near the top of the singles game usually do not feel they have time to play in mixed doubles.
However, the US Open’s radical changes to this year’s tournament format will make it much easier for singles players to compete. The tournament is set to be held over two days on August 20th and 21st during fan week.
There will be 16 teams, eight of them wild cards and the other eight decided by a combined singles rankings. That makes it much more challenging for doubles specialists to enter unless they are alongside a high-ranked singles player.
Alex de Minuaur already announced that he and his fiancée, Katie Boulter, will likely play in the US Open mixed doubles because the format makes it easier for men’s players to enter in particular since they play best-of-five-set matches at Grand Slams.
Speaking in a press conference after beating Lorenzo Sonego at the 2025 Dubai Championships, Tsitsipas confirmed that he and Badosa also planned to compete and would not want to play with any other female player.
“We are planning to play. She’s the mixed doubles partner I would always play with. I don’t have any other options out there or any other female player that I would want to play mixed doubles with. She’s always under my consideration and always someone I would want to share the court with.”
Taylor Fritz is another man who said he might play in the mixed doubles. The American also admitted that he did not feel the previous format added much to the four Grand Slams.
Although it is hard not to sympathize somewhat with the doubles specialists who the mixed doubles change has impacted, it cannot be denied that more singles players featuring will generate more attention.
One person who has taken a hardline approach against doubles specialists is Reilly Opelka. He thinks that all doubles should be eliminated to create more space for the singles players that generate most of the revenue.
Opelka also brutally and sarcastically said he always assumed that the mixed doubles at Grand Slams were exhibitions after the US Open’s announcement, comments made to belittle doubles specialists deliberately.
Most are not as blunt as Opelka. However, the US Open organizers will be delighted to see that high-profile singles players are already considering playing mixed doubles because of the format change.
The 2025 US Open is not until August, but the mixed doubles change means the tournament is already being spoken about, which the organizers will also not mind.
