The US Open triggered a wave of excitement by announcing that its Mixed Doubles event this year will feature the likes of Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner, and Carlos Alcaraz, alongside the most sought-after WTA stars, including Emma Raducanu, Mirra Andreeva, and Zheng Qinwen.
The Mixed Doubles Championship event at this year’s US Open will be held during qualifying week on Aug. 19 and 20. It will include 16 teams comprising the top eight pairs with the highest combined singles rankings and eight wild-card entries.
However, not everybody is happy about the development.
Polish Tennis Star Slams US Open for ‘Taking Away Opportunity To Compete’
Polish tennis star Jan Zielinski has lashed out at the US Open organizers after he did not receive a wild card to compete at the event. Zielinski, 28, was one of the most consistent performers in the mixed-doubles scene last year.
Last year, the Pole won two mixed doubles championships at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, partnering with Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei. However, when the US Open released the list of teams who would be competing at its Mixed Doubles Championship, Zielinski did not feature. He wrote a scathing post against the tournament, accusing it of “taking away the opportunity to compete and making it fair to everyone.”
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 🤝@usta @usopen pic.twitter.com/OMsoam39iC— Jan Zielinski (@zielaczekk) June 18, 2025
“I guess winning two grand slams in mixed doubles in one year is not enough to get an invitation to the US Open exhibition event,” he wrote in a scathing post. “Thanks for taking away the opportunity to compete and making it fair to everyone,” he added, tagging the official pages of the United States Tennis Association (USTA) and the US Open.
The USTA announced a comprehensive reimagining of the Mixed Doubles Championship at the Grand Slam to attract more top singles players to participate. The goal is to draw larger crowds to the matches by featuring some of the biggest names in the sport.
How Fans Have Reacted to the Reimagined Mixed Doubles Event at the US Open
Although many tennis fans have welcomed the news that they will now be able to watch some of the top names in the sport participate in mixed doubles, others have expressed skepticism. Critics of the USTA’s move have pointed out that this new format will adversely affect doubles specialists.
Even defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori have slammed the move, asserting that making decisions solely based on profit motives is “profoundly wrong.”
“We received the news that US Open mixed doubles tournament will be completely turned upside down, cancelled and replaced with a pseudo-exhibition focused only on entertainment and show,” the duo said in a joint statement. “A decision made without consulting anyone, which we can do nothing but accept it.”
