Now the stage is set for the US Open mixed doubles spectacle, a 16-team clash dripping with star power but light on traditional doubles veterans. With registration closed, the USTA has named 14 teams, eight direct entries, six wild cards, slated for August 19-20 at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center, wrapping just four days before singles action ignites with $1 million prize money. Automatic berths include defending men’s champion Jannik Sinner, Wimbledon queen Iga Świątek, and last year’s finalist Taylor Fritz. Yet, since the February announcement, a storm has brewed. With the countdown on, Jessica Pegula identifies the lack of communication between players and organizers as the reason for the growing division.

Fresh off her 6-4, 6-3 triumph over Kimberly Birrell in Cincinnati’s second round, the American No. 4 seed spoke with intent.

Set to join forces with Tommy Paul in the revamped two-day showcase, Pegula, WTA Player Council member and co-signer of a profit-sharing plea to all four Slams, praised the concept but struck a sharp note. The lack of communication, she said, left players blindsided, a jarring twist in what could have been a seamless celebration of the sport’s evolving stage.

“I’m honored that they asked me to play. I think it’s going to be great, I think it’s going to be fun and I think the fans will really enjoy it,” she told reporters in a mixed zone, her voice balancing excitement with unease. Then, the sharp turn: “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?’”

Her words sliced clean through the noise, because in Pegula’s eyes, this wasn’t about resisting change, it was about respecting the people on the frontlines of the sport. “That’s something that we as players are trying to work with them on, having that line of communication be a lot smoother,” she added. “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.”

And she didn’t stop there. The stakes, Pegula argued, extend beyond scheduling and spectacle; they cut into livelihoods. “It’s not good when you have players saying they’re upset that now they can’t play, or that it’s a way for them to make money and now they don’t have that. It’s going to be a really fun event, but at the same time, I wish that they would have been communicating with us a little bit better.” The message was clear: tennis may be a show, but it’s also a profession, and those holding the mic shouldn’t forget the voices backstage.

Pegula is far from the only one sounding the alarm. Italian duo Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, last year’s mixed doubles champions, didn’t mince words either. “Making decisions just following the logic of profit is profoundly wrong in some situations,” they said, calling the overhaul a move toward a “pseudo-exhibition focused only on entertainment and show.” For them, tradition was being traded for theatrics.

Poland’s Jan Zielinski, a mixed doubles winner at both the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2023, condemned the move as one made without “any consultation with the players and based strictly on profit.” Australian doubles star Ellen Perez was even blunter, posting on X: “Tell us that you think doubles players are trash, that tradition is overrated and job opportunity is a thing of the past without actually saying it.” Their frustration underscored a shared sentiment: when policy is crafted without those it affects, the sport loses more than just a match format.

Yes, the new format boasts heavyweights, Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Emma Navarro, but for many, the star power doesn’t erase the sting. Because of singles ranking requirements, top doubles specialists like world No. 2 Katerina Siniakova and ATP No. 1 Marcelo Arevalo now need wild cards just to compete. 

Layer in the growing concerns about player scheduling, and the shiny new mixed doubles spectacle starts to feel like a crack in the foundation. 

But in Cincinnati, Pegula keeps marching forward, her racquet doing the talking on court, her voice doing it off, refusing to let this conversation fade quietly into the background.

Jessica Pegula discusses retirement plans during the Cincinnati Open

Jessica Pegula is leaving her mark on the 2025 Cincinnati Open, storming into the third round while confronting the inevitable question every athlete faces: how long will the ride last? The world No. 4, sharp and composed, dismantled Australia’s Kimberly Birrell, keeping her campaign alive with a ruthless efficiency that mirrors her clarity about the future.

Fresh from a first-round bye, Pegula’s second-round performance was a masterclass in control, bouncing back from an earlier stumble at the Canadian Open. Now, the American’s focus shifts to 31st seed Magda Linette, with a quarterfinal berth in the WTA 1000 event on the line.

For Pegula, Cincinnati is more than a tournament; it’s a crucial checkpoint before the US Open, a stage where she dazzled in 2024 by reaching the final. At 31, her game still brims with tactical depth and iron-clad consistency, but she’s not shy about acknowledging the grind behind the glamor.

Speaking on the Tennis Insider Club, Pegula admitted the 2024 season left her feeling “burnt out.” Yet this year, her energy has shifted. “This year has been much better, I am more excited to travel. I’m not jumping up and down to travel but I’m appreciating being in Madrid… I didn’t get to come here last year as I was hurt and I kind of miss it,” she said, revealing a softer, more reflective side.

Season will decide her future season, dictated by health, form, and motivation. But there’s one line she’s already drawn in the sand: “I will definitely not be playing at 35… I think it would be cool to maybe try and make the Olympics because it’s in LA in a couple of years.”

With her form surging and her vision clear, Pegula looks set for another deep run, determined to leave the sport on her own terms, swinging freely, chasing milestones, and eyeing a final bow that might just come draped in Olympic colors.