The best of the best at doubles, meanwhile, are not so excited about what one of last year’s mixed champions in New York, Sara Errani, labeled “sad” and “nonsense” in an interview with The Associated Press. She and Andrea Vavassori, who’ll be defending their title, are the only true doubles team competing Tuesday and Wednesday at Flushing Meadows.
A year ago, only two highly ranked singles players participated.
“It’s going to count as a real Grand Slam. The prize money is great,” said Fritz, the runner-up to Sinner in singles at Flushing Meadows a year ago. “We are 100% there to try to win it.”
Said Tiafoe: “Seeing the prize money, everyone was like, ‘We’re going, no matter what.’”
What’s different? Put plainly: everything. That includes the top prize of $1 million a year after Errani and Vavassori split $200,000.
That’s how the singles stars got involved. It’s also why some say the whole thing is a bit silly.
Gaby Dabrowski, a Canadian who owns two major championships in mixed doubles and earned the women’s doubles trophy at the 2023 U.S. Open, tried to get into the field with Felix Auger-Aliassime, but they were not among the USTA’s wild-card selections.
“Do I think it’s a true mixed doubles championship? No. Do I think it could help the sport of doubles in the end? It could,” Dabrowski said, “but not if you can’t have any doubles players play in it.”
Like Errani or Dabrowski, doubles players aren’t thrilled about being excluded and losing out on a payday.
They also think it’s generally demeaning to doubles specialists — even if the USTA thinks this can help boost the popularity of doubles.
“When you get the biggest names playing doubles, it does bring a bit more attention to it,” said Joe Salisbury, a British player who’s won two Grand Slam titles in mixed doubles and four in men’s doubles, “but I’m not sure it’s good for the doubles event, because it’s not really a proper event. It’s just a two-day exhibition.”
Tournament director Stacey Allaster objects to that sort of characterization.
“Let’s be absolutely crystal clear: This is a Grand Slam championship. It is not an exhibition,” Allaster said. “We’re sympathetic to the doubles specialists who don’t like this change. … (But) we know that when fans see top players competing … this is going to inspire more fans to not only attend but to play tennis, and it’s ultimately going to grow the sport.”
