The highly anticipated US Open mixed doubles event has officially kicked off, and it’s already turning up the heat! After months of doubt following the announcement of a new, condensed two-day format and plenty of backlash over shrinking the event’s scope, the tournament found some relief by releasing a star-studded list of partners. Still, not everyone was thrilled—especially the doubles champions. The defending champs made their voices heard loud and clear after a clash with Taylor Fritz and Elena Rybakina!

Fritz and Rybakina arrived in New York as the second seeds, riding high on momentum from their mixed doubles exhibition win at Indian Wells in March. But when they faced the Italian duo Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, things didn’t really go their way. The defending champions were all business, dominating the court and earning a 4-2, 4-2 win to secure their spot in the quarter-finals. No messing around there!

After the match, they spoke out about the tournament’s unusual setup. With the event shortened into an “exhibition” style and many top doubles players sitting out, they felt a responsibility to step up against Taylor Fritz and Elena Rybakina. “We are playing for all the doubles players that could not compete here. We try to do our best,” Vavassori said passionately during his post-match interview. Their mission is clear and taken seriously on this unique stage.

Interestingly, these champs, who also snagged the French Open mixed doubles title this year, weren’t even on the original entry list for New York’s mixed doubles draw. They slammed the USTA’s revamped entry rules, calling the changes a “profound injustice.” Their criticism shines a light on some serious controversy behind the scenes.

On the court, Mirra Andreeva and Jasmine Paolini stand out as the only players ranked in the top 15 in both singles and doubles on the men’s and women’s tours. Coco Gauff has been there too, once holding No. 2 in singles and a former No. 1 in doubles. However, she pulled out of the tournament due to scheduling issues alongside other players like Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka, and more.

Now, Errani and Vavassori move forward to face the winner of the all-American pairing Venus Williams and Reilly Opelka or the Czech-Russian team of Karolina Muchova and Andrey Rublev. The quarter-finals are set for Tuesday, and the excitement is building! And while the road at the mixed doubles event ended for Fritz, he’s still got the singles event to shine at!

Taylor Fritz gets candid on returning as the 2024 finalist

After reaching the Canadian Open semis, Taylor kept it real with the press. When asked about US Open pressure as Cincinnati approached, he didn’t flinch. “I don’t feel like I have a responsibility to do it, or I think I don’t feel like people are like counting on me or anything,” he said. “I think all the pressure that I feel is just the pressure that I’m putting on myself because I’m a competitor. I’ve given my, you know, whole life to playing tennis and that’s what I really want is to win a slam. So, you know, the pressure is definitely coming from just me wanting it and not from anywhere else.”

Toronto lights saw Taylor Fritz nearly deliver another serving masterclass Tuesday night. His straight-sets win over 2024 finalist Andrey Rublev, 6-3, 7-6(4), punched his ticket to the National Bank Open semis. That victory also etched his name in the record books as the first American to reach semis at all nine current ATP Masters 1000 events. As New York looms, the big question is, does Fritz feel the Slam heat? The answer? The pressure is on.

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Flushing Meadows, however, was a different story. Last year, Jannik Sinner’s clinical 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 dismantled Fritz’s US Open dreams. Though Fritz flashed brilliance in the third set, it wasn’t enough to flip the match. The American man’s title drought stretches back to Andy Roddick in 2003.

Still, stepping onto Arthur Ashe Stadium that night was magical. “Just kind of walking on the court, and just hearing the crowd go crazy, and just kind of soaking in the moment of, ‘I’m walking out to play my match on Ashe in the U.S. Open finals,’ is what I dreamed about my whole life,” Taylor Fritz confessed. “It almost got me emotional, but I was just really happy and ready to enjoy the moment.”

Now, after falling to Ben Shelton in the Canadian Open semis and losing in the Cincinnati round of 16 to Terence Atmane, can Fritz bounce back and break that drought? What do you think? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!