Alcaraz, Osaka, Djokovic, Swiatek amongst massive names in revamped US Open blended doubles with $1 million prize cash

Think about Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu competing collectively for a Grand Slam trophy. How about Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe as a duo? Iga Swiatek alongside Casper Ruud? Or Naomi Osaka with Nick Kyrgios?

These are among the many high-wattage pairs on Tuesday’s preliminary entry checklist for the reimagined U.S. Open blended doubles match on Aug. 19-20, earlier than singles competitors begins Aug. 24.

Ten of the highest 11 girls within the WTA singles rankings — Coco Gauff, who simply gained the French Open for her second Grand Slam title, is the one one lacking — and 10 of the highest 11 males on the ATP tour, together with No. 1 Jannik Sinner and 24-time main champion Novak Djokovic, have registered to compete for the $1 million high prize that can be cut up by the winners, an $800,000 improve over final yr.

“Have a look at the sector we’ve,” mentioned Stacey Allaster, who’s in her remaining yr as U.S. Open match director. “It’s going to be incredible for the followers.”

Others on Tuesday’s checklist: Sinner and Emma Navarro, Djokovic and Olga Danilovic, Zheng Qinwen and Jack Draper, Jasmine Paolini and Lorenzo Musetti, Jessica Pegula and Tommy Paul, Mirra Andreeva and Daniil Medvedev, Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz, Aryna Sabalenka and Grigor Dimitrov, Paula Badosa and Stefanos Tsitsipas, Belinda Bencic and Alexander Zverev, Taylor Townsend and Ben Shelton, and 2024 U.S. Open blended doubles champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori.

It’s a star-studded group that may be a far cry from the combination of doubles specialists often present in a Grand Slam blended doubles bracket. Some criticized the adjustments once they had been introduced in February, with Errani and Vavassori calling the brand new format a “pseudo-exhibition centered solely on leisure and present” that will shut out doubles gamers.

This time, there are 10 main singles champions hoping to play, with Djokovic, Osaka, Alcaraz, Raducanu, Sinner, Sabalenka, Swiatek and Medvedev all previous winners at Flushing Meadows.

Pegula and Fritz had been final yr’s singles runners-up in New York, whereas Ruud, Zverev and 2025 Australian Open champion Keys even have been finalists on the U.S. Open.

“There may be nothing I’ve been extra enthusiastic about, energized about, than this occasion and what it would signify for the game going ahead: a possibility to innovate and current the game in a different way,” mentioned Lew Sherr, who just lately introduced he’ll be leaving as chief govt of the U.S. Tennis Affiliation to turn into president of enterprise operations with the New York Mets.

“It’s the one sport of any significance (with) women and men on the identical area of play, on the identical time, competing all out towards each other.”

The blended doubles occasion is shrinking from 32 pairs to 16, and there’s a shortened format — first-to-four-games units till the ultimate; no-ad scoring; match tiebreakers as a substitute of a 3rd set.

Gamers nonetheless have time to enroll earlier than the July 28 cutoff, and there’s no assure that the 16 groups introduced Tuesday will truly be within the attract New York. The highest eight groups based mostly on their mixed singles rating will routinely get into the sector; the opposite eight pairings will obtain wild playing cards decided by a USTA committee.

“As soon as there was an understanding of what the occasion was, (gamers) went and ran with it,” mentioned Eric Butorac, USTA senior director of participant relations and enterprise improvement. “They discovered their very own companions — whether or not it was a friendship, a countryman or some even teaming up with a companion that they’ve off the courtroom.”