In a bold reformatting of the traditional championship, the 2025 U.S. Open aimed to bring the mixed doubles tournament to center stage (and center court) in a condensed two-day event held during Fan Week. With shortened sets and a $1 million prize hanging in the balance, singles stars entered the field, many in their debut mixed doubles appearances, to create blockbuster matchups.
“In our initial discussions about reimagining and elevating the U.S. Open Mixed Doubles Championship, we wanted to find a way to showcase the world’s best men and women competing with and against one another, and we were confident that we would be able to get the top players in the game excited about this unique opportunity,” explained U.S. Tennis Association CEO and Executive Director Lew Sherr.
With the opportunity to participate in the tournament well in advance of the singles championships and a fivefold increase in prize money from 2024, the restructured event attracted the top 10 men in the world and eight of the top 10 women in the final list of entries—a level of participation unheard of in mixed doubles. Of the 25 teams entered, eight received direct entry based on combined singles ranking and eight received wild cards, bringing 16 teams to compete on the first day.
The event has been steeped in controversy since the U.S. Open announced the entry list. U.S. Open mixed doubles champions and wildcard recipients Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori called the format change a “profound injustice” and “pseudo-exhibition,” as it prevented accomplished doubles specialists from challenging for a Grand Slam title. “A grand slam is neither preparation nor fun. It’s years of sacrifice. When you’re young, you dream of winning one, even in doubles… There’s no problem putting on such an event, but above all, don’t call it a grand slam.” said Kristina Mladenovic, former world doubles No. 1 and nine-time Grand Slam winner.
With a format spanning just two days, the shortened tournament featured best-of-three matches with sets to four games, no-ad scoring, tiebreakers at four-all, and a 10-point match tiebreaker in place of a third set. All matches played in the prestigious Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong Stadiums, unlike prior years.
Just 16 hours after her finals win in Cincinnati, Iga Swiatek and partner Casper Ruud opened Day 1, defeating Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe in a scorching 39 minutes. Also fresh off a win against an illness-weakened Jannik Sinner in Cincinnati, Carlos Alcaraz and partner Emma Raducanu—one of the most highly anticipated match-ups of the tournament amid their romance rumors—failed to break Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper, whose superior netplay secured them the win.
In the bottom half of the draw, reigning champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori showcased their expertise in their decisive win against Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz. Doubles specialists reigning supreme, No. 1 WTA doubles player Taylor Townsend and Ben Shelton won 50 of 85 points to defeat Amanda Anisimova and Holger Rune in 4-1, 5-4 (2). Another notable Day 1 match witnessed the only set ending in a bagel of the entire first round, with Danielle Collins and Christian Harrison defeating Belinda Bencic and Alexander Zverev after scarcely entering the draw when Jannik Sinner withdrew because of illness.
In the quarterfinals, Pegula and Draper, as well as Swiatek and Ruud, dominated the top half in one-sided matches. The bottom half, however, delivered a surprise: Collins and Harrison upset Townsend and Shelton in 46 minutes while Errani and Vavassori defeated Muchova and Rublev.
Day 2 of the mixed doubles tournament featured back-to-back semifinals and final matches, beginning with a thrilling match between Swiatek and Ruud and Pegula and Draper. The two pairings broke the streak of 12 straight matches ending in straight sets, pushing the contest to a third-set tiebreak after a series of tense games. Swiatek and Ruud appeared on the edge of defeat, trailing 8-4, before roaring back with six straight points. Swiatek sealed the deal with what she described as “the most important volley of [her] life.” In the second semifinal, Errani and Vavassori played like a well-oiled machine to defeat Collins and Harrison.
Wildcard Errani and Vavassori took center court to defend their U.S. Open title against Swiatek and Ruud, who entered as world singles Nos. 2 and 12, respectively. Unlike the low-profile atmosphere from their title match a year ago, the final took place in a sold-out Arthur Ashe Stadium with $1 million on the line. Both sides converted three break points each, but after Swiatek and Ruud forced a tiebreak, they found themselves trailing 8-4. This time, Errani and Vavassori clinched the victory after a strategic underhand serve on match-point to become two-time U.S. Open mixed doubles champions.
While the new format of the mixed doubles tournament was a smashing success for fans, its future remains uncertain as players’ opinions and tournament organizers clash. Bringing star singles players into the mix provided for an exponential increase in viewership, but at the expense of devoted doubles specialists whom organizers denied the chance to participate. Addressing the crowd during the trophy ceremony, Sara Errani drove home this final point while reacting to her win: “This one is also for the doubles players who couldn’t play this tournament. This one is for them.”
Whitney Ford ’28 (wford@college.harvard.edu) will be paying more attention to mixed doubles in the future.
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