Come the US Open, the fans are always in for a surprise. This year is no different. Months before the tournament, the US Open officials announced some major changes for the mixed doubles event. Traditionally, this format has seldom attracted huge crowds, and the US Open wanted to change this fact and make it all the more exciting. Thus, it scrapped the old format and introduced a 16-team format, where 8 teams will qualify based on their singles rankings, and the other 8 teams will be awarded a wildcard entry.

As a result, the format will see many singles stars participating in the extravaganza. Interestingly, the mixed doubles event is scheduled a week before the start of the main draw matches. Thus, it will also serve as a warm-up for the US Open singles competition. Stars like Taylor Fritz and Venus Williams will be seen in action there, and it promises to be a thrilling event. Moreover, a lot will be at stake for these stars, given the huge prize money on offer.

2025 US Open mixed doubles prize money – Record $1 million payout and full breakdown

This year, the US Open promises to get bigger and better in every aspect. The total prize money purse has increased to a whopping $90 million, which is a 20% increase from the previous edition. This increase has also translated to the mixed doubles competition, with the champions being awarded an impressive $1 million per team. Not just the winners, even the other participants are in for a massive windfall. The full prize money breakdown for this year’s US Open mixed doubles competition is as follows:

Interestingly, the 2024 mixed doubles champions at the US Open received just $200,000 per team. Thus, it is a five-fold increase this time around. It makes all the more sense as the top singles stars like Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz will draw in massive crowds during the mixed doubles competition, thus generating more revenue for the tournament. However, the prize money isn’t the only factor behind why so many stars enrolled themselves for mixed doubles.

The compressed two-day US Open mixed doubles schedule before the main Grand Slam

With the hectic two weeks of singles action at the US Open, the officials considered that factor while designing the new format of the mixed doubles. The event will be held over two days, 19 and 20 August. Moreover, the Stadium Courts, the Arthur Ashe Stadium, and the Louis Armstrong Stadium will host the mixed doubles tournament.

Play will begin at 11 AM ET on 19 August, whereas on the following day, the matches will start from 7 PM. Because of this compressed format, the singles players can have an ideal warmup before the main singles events starting the following week. While this new format has had mixed reviews, Jessica Pegula feels that it is a welcome change for tennis.

During an interview, she said, “I’m honored that they asked me to play. It’s going to be great, it’s going to be fun and the fans will really enjoy it. At the same time, how they went about it, I didn’t think was really great … We were like, Okay, you guys went rogue and changed the format and didn’t tell anybody. You just did it. Did you talk to the players? Did you get their input about how it could be better? That’s something that we as players are trying to work with them on, having that line of communication be a lot smoother. I feel like maybe if there was feedback about the format, then the (reaction) would be a little different, not so all over the place.”

Unlike the singles, the mixed doubles event will have a faster format in place. Fans can hardly take their eyes off the court as it promises to be a thrilling event with the new format.

Short 3-set us open mixed doubles matches with no-ad scoring – A faster, fiercer battle

All the matches at the US Open mixed doubles tournament will have sets up to four games, with the final having sets up to six games. There will be no ad scoring in the best-of-three sets encounters. If the set is tied at 4-4 in the matches up to the semifinals, a tiebreak will be played as in the regular format. If the match is tied at 1-set-all, a 10-point tiebreak will decide the winner.

Because of this new format, the matches are expected to be shorter and will hardly reach an hour mark. This also ensure that the singles stars aren’t facing the issue of fatigue before the main event in the hot and humid conditions in New York. This new, exciting format will also involve rapid shifts in momentum and the matches can swing in no time, making it difficult to predict who will have an upper hand in this tournament.

Why the 2025 US Open mixed doubles event is attracting big names in tennis

When the new format of the mixed doubles at the US Open was announced, it received mixed reviews from the players and the fans. While the doubles specialists weren’t happy, the singles stars believed it to be a welcome change for the sport. Moreover, with the massive prize money at stake and a short and crisp format, many stars like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner signed up for this extravaganza.

During an interview, USTA CEO Lew Sherr said, “We were confident that we would be able to get the top players in the game excited about this unique opportunity. Seeing the teams that have already put their names on the entry list makes us all incredibly excited. It shows that the players are behind what we are trying to do, and we know that the fans will love it.”

Thus, it is no doubt that the tournament will not attract big names, as some exciting pairs teamed up for the event. The likes of Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz, Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz and Emma Navarro and Jannik Sinner will be seen in action there. With a lot of firepower on display, the new mixed doubles format at the US Open is sure to turn in massive audience from all over the globe.