The 2025 US Open has been under fire for its mixed doubles revamp, with the line-up for the event being led by singles stars the likes of Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu. Joining the conversation, two-time Grand Slam champion Jan Zielinski recently criticised the newly implemented format.
The upcoming US Open will host the mixed doubles event during the championship’s fan week, with various top singles players pairing up in hunt of the million dollar prize reserved for winners. The dying popularity of mixed doubles is the reasoning behind the new format, but the changes have drawn criticism from fans and doubles specialists alike.
Most recently, Jan Zielinski hit out at the ‘unfair’ treatment of the Grand Slam. The Polish star, who won the 2024 Wimbledon and Australian Open mixed doubles event alongside Hsieh Su-wei, wrote on X,
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“I guess winning two grand slams in mixed doubles in one year is not enough to get an invitation to US Open „exhibition” event. Thanks for taking away the opportunity to compete and making it fair to everyone 🤝.”
The mixed doubles line up in New York consists of several big names, including Alcaraz/Raducanu, Jannik Sinner/Emma Navarro, Nick Kyrgios/Naomi Osaka, and Novak Djokovic/Olga Danilovic.
Carlos Alcaraz exudes enthusiasm about competing alongside Emma Raducanu at the US Open
While the changes in the mixed doubles event at the US Open has drawn the ire of certain players and fans, several others are excited for the new format.
In an interaction with media, Carlos Alcaraz showed his enthusiasm about playing the event alongside Emma Raducanu, saying,
“She’s gonna be the boss. I’m super excited about it. I think it’s going to be great. It was an amazing idea for the tournament. I will try to bring my doubles skill. We will try to win, but obviously it’s going to be really, really fun.
He went on to add that he shared a close bond with Raducanu away from the court and the duo were excited to team up, explaining,
“I’ve known Emma for a really long time ago, so we know each other. I have a really good relationship with her. We are going to enjoy it, for sure. I was thinking that I couldn’t play better if unless it was with Emma. I just asked Emma if she wants to play doubles with me. Yeah, I made that special request.”
On the singles end of things, Alcaraz and Raducanu will both be in the hunt for their second US Open titles. While the Spaniard remains a strong contender for the win, the Brit will enter the event as the underdog after a string of disappointing performances recently.
