The 2025 US Open mixed doubles tournament, set to unfold on August 19-20 at Flushing Meadows, promises a dazzling spectacle with a revamped format designed to spotlight tennis’s biggest singles stars. The United States Tennis Association (USTA) has confirmed 14 of the 16 competing teams, featuring electrifying pairings like Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu, but the event is already stirring debate with notable absences and snubs, including world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and fan-favorite Nick Kyrgios.
The reimagined tournament, a bold departure from tradition, prioritizes singles rankings for eight direct-entry spots, with eight wildcards rounding out the field. This shift has drawn criticism for sidelining doubles specialists, but the star power is undeniable. Alcaraz, the five-time Grand Slam champion, and Raducanu, the 2021 US Open women’s singles winner, secured a wildcard, their partnership sparked by a shared Evian sponsorship and Alcaraz’s personal pitch. “I was thinking that I couldn’t play better unless it was with Emma. I just asked Emma if she wants to play doubles with me,” Alcaraz revealed, noting Raducanu took “time to think a little bit” before agreeing. Their pairing, dubbed “Alcaranu” by fans, is a marquee draw, blending Alcaraz’s explosive athleticism with Raducanu’s precision, fresh off her doubles semifinal run with Elena Rybakina in Washington.
Other standout teams include world No. 1 Jannik Sinner with Emma Navarro, boasting the highest combined singles ranking, and Iga Swiatek with Casper Ruud, combining Swiatek’s five majors with Ruud’s 2022 US Open final appearance. American duos like Jessica Pegula and Tommy Paul, and Taylor Townsend with Ben Shelton, add homegrown flair, while Venus Williams, at 45, teams up with Reilly Opelka for a wildcard entry, her 16 Grand Slam doubles titles lending unmatched pedigree. Novak Djokovic, with 24 major singles titles, pairs with Serbia’s Olga Danilovic, and defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, the only doubles specialists confirmed, aim to repeat. “Look at the field we have,” said Stacey Allaster, in her final year as US Open tournament director, emphasizing the event’s star-studded appeal.
However, the absence of Aryna Sabalenka, initially slated to play with Grigor Dimitrov, looms large. Dimitrov’s withdrawal due to a pectoral injury from Wimbledon left Sabalenka without a partner, and despite her status as women’s No. 1, she didn’t secure a wildcard. Her absence follows a controversial French Open final where she remarked that Coco Gauff “didn’t win as much as she lost,” adding intrigue to her non-participation. Gauff, the 2025 French Open champion, is notably absent from the mixed doubles field, one of the few top-10 players not competing.
Nick Kyrgios, paired with Naomi Osaka on the preliminary entry list, also appears to have been snubbed, with their participation unconfirmed. “Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios… attirent par leur notoriété,” one observer noted, highlighting their draw as fan magnets despite Kyrgios’s limited play due to injuries. The decision to exclude them, alongside other high-profile pairs like Paula Badosa and Stefanos Tsitsipas, who withdrew amid rumors of a breakup, and Zheng Qinwen with Jack Draper, sidelined by Zheng’s elbow surgery, has fueled debate. Alex de Minaur, engaged to Katie Boulter, took to social media, pleading, “Katie and I would like to ask for a WC pretty pretty please,” underscoring the fierce competition for wildcard spots.
The new “Fast 4” format—best-of-three sets to four games, with no-ad scoring and a 10-point tiebreak—aims to keep matches brisk and fan-friendly, but it’s not without critics. Defending champions Errani and Vavassori called it a “pseudo-exhibition focused only on entertainment and show,” arguing it marginalizes doubles specialists like Kateřina Siniaková and Marcelo Arévalo, who remain on the outside. Andy Roddick, however, praised the format’s potential, stating on his Served podcast, “Now, is it taking jobs away from doubles players who kind of run this side tour? Yeah, it is,” but rated the entry list a “12/10” for its star power.
With a $1 million prize pool—up $800,000 from last year—the event is poised to pack stadiums and boost ESPN viewership. Yet, scheduling conflicts loom, as the Cincinnati Open finals on August 18 could see players like Alcaraz or Sinner rushing to New York. “There’s always going to be openings, just depending on the conditions,” noted coach Barry Fulcher, predicting potential withdrawals. For now, the tennis world awaits the final two wildcard announcements, with fans buzzing over whether Alcaraz and Raducanu can live up to their hype or if underdogs like Errani and Vavassori will steal the show in this glitzy, controversial championship.
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