Status: 18.08.2025 3:19 p.m.
Despite his latest physical problems, tennis professional Alexander Zverev has not yet withdrawn from the US Open mixed competition. The Hamburger is to compete in New York with Belinda Bencic on Tuesday in the first round of the modified competition, which causes criticism.
According to this, the German tennis star and his Swiss partner meets the most Italian world ranking listener Jannik Sinner and the double specialist Katerina Siniakova from the Czech Republic. The second round will also be contested on Tuesday (local time), the semi -finals and the final are on the plan on Wednesday.
At the recent semi-final defeat in Cincinnati’s individual competition against Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz, Zverev had physically reached its limits. “Everything is going on for me,” the 28-year-old had reported to a doctor called on the pitch. Already in the quarter -finals he had complained about shortness of breath.
Also starting from Sinner and Alcaraz
It is still possible that the 28-year-old will announced his rejection for the mixed start at short notice in order to protect himself for the individual competition starting on Sunday. The participation of Sinner and Alcaraz (with the British Emma Raducanu), who still have to play the final in Cincinnati today and would have to play the final at the US Open in New York in Mixed on Tuesday, is not considered safe despite the official settlement.
A total of 16 teams play for the title in the mixed doubles. The competition will be held for the first time during the week before the actual start of the Grand Slam tournament on August 24 and only on two days.
Mixed competition causes trouble with double specialists
Zverev and Bencic, who won Olympic gold in Tokyo in 2021 and have known each other since childhood, have qualified through their positions in the individual world rankings. Eight places were also awarded by wildcards – one, for example, to the 45 -year -old Venus Williams, currently number 577 in the world. Much to the annoyance of the double specialists, some of whom are harsh criticism of the new format.
“Mixed is a great competition. This should not be degraded into such a show event, the counting system of which or loses is more of a matter of luck.”
Tennis professional Laura Siegemund
“This is a joke,” scolded Laura Siegemund, for example, who won two Grand Slam titles in the mixed and has no chance of participating. She “had no understanding at all,” said the 37-year-old. All of this was “simply decided” to “include the players concerned,” she complained: “Those professionals for whom the mixed competition is primarily created were simply ignored.”
Tennis icon Martina Navratilova, ten times mixed Grand Slam winner, also criticized that it was simply wrong not to give the double players no chance at all. “That makes the title a farce.”
Organizers want higher income with top stars
But the goal of the organizers is a much greater attention for a previously minor competition – and higher income. And the top stars such as Zverev, Sinner, Alcaraz and Co. attract significantly more spectators. Four victories are enough for the Grand Slam title in the smaller field of participants (16 instead of 32 teams).
In addition, the games are completed with shortened sentences and take place in the big stadiums. The prize money for the winning team is increased to one million US dollars. In the past, the top stars often did not take part in the mixed competition to focus on the individual.
Zverev’s physical condition completely unclear
In addition to the question mark on the occupation of the mixed competition, from a German perspective before the start of the US Open, it is primarily unclear which sign Zverev in Flushing Meadows is under. In Cincinnati and previously in Toronto (from the semi -finals) with a high level in Cincinnati and previously in Toronto (from August 24).
After his tournament break in July as a result of his crash end in Wimbledon and the training in Mallorca with Toni Nadal, the Hamburg seemed on the right track until his body spent him from him at the weekend because the high temperatures in Cincinnati apparently had to work.
In New York it should be a little cooler in the coming days – and yet a question arises: Is this the right time for Zverev for a “shewevent”?
