The new mixed event pulls the masses with the US Open to. The top individual players displace the double specialists. That could change the traditional tennis.
A comparable collection of tennis stars has a mixed competition of a Grand Slams never gave. At this year’s US Open take Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, Novak Djokovic, also number 1 in the world, Jannik Sinner, originally wanted to play along, but had in the tournament in Cincinnatti Physical problems and canceled at short notice. Naomi Osaka, Emma Raducanu or Elena Rybakina, to name just a few top players, are also there and form the mixed doubles.
Usually these players always avoid the mixed competition – too much stress, too little yield. But everything is different this year. The US-Tournament organizer want to upgrade the mixed double, which otherwise only runs on the edge of the tournament for reasons of (tennis) tradition and for which very few spectators are mostly interested.
More money ($ 1 million for the winners), shorter sentences, compression to two days, smaller field of participants, moved to the qualification week, in which the stars do not have to take part because they are already qualified for the main field. The larger the name, the more likely participation. In this way, the spectators are supposed to find bigger things about it.
Victory and with criticism, pütz with understanding
The spontaneous criticism from the player side was clearly audible. The German player Laura Siegemund, who already had two, was exemplary for this. Grand Slam-Title won in the mixed and has no chance of participating because she is a number too small in the world tennis for this approach. “This is a joke”she said and added: “I have no understanding at all”
But the opinions on the part of the players are not that clear. “It depends on which direction you look at it. From a professional perspective who loves the competition, against this background this is certainly not optimal”says Tim Pütz of the sports show. “On the other hand, this is one Entertainement eventlike every tennis tournament. There are people who want to spend their free time there. Of course you want to offer them the best possible show. ”
No spectators in previous mixed games
Like some tennis professionals, the 37-year-old Frankfurter specializes in the double competitions, is the current number 6 of the world rankings and is also a victim of this development, since revenues are also eliminated for him. “Of course we players would all like to earn more money. Viewed selfishly, that’s stupid for us. But if the whole thing Event runs better, maybe the double of it will also benefit “so Pütz.
He understands the perspective of the organizers, who, depending on the tournament, have between 13 and 20 percent of the total budget for the double competitions (US Open 2025: 2.6 percent for mixed and 10.6 percent for men’s and women’s doubles). That is in this year in new York Around twelve million dollars.
“I have been with you many times Grand Slam stood on the square in mixed and we had no viewer. I can understand that you want to make it more attractive. For a mixed or double with largely unknown players, nobody buys an admission ticket, but for the world stars in singles. You have to be so honest“, says Pütz.
The double player criticizes
With this new player tableau, a new era in profit tennis seems to be heralded. Because the double – a very traditional part of tennis – has been moving into the background for years.
Exactly a year ago, around the tournament in new Yorkhad a publicly known meeting with a large number of double specialists and representatives of the mighty player union ATP given in which the professionals had expressed their criticism of the low appreciation.
The double matches usually only take place in side seats, professional support on social media through the official Accounts The tournaments and the associations hardly exist. However, the topic of those responsible seemed to come to little love. The tenor: The top players in singles are becoming more and more in focus, the double competitions will play an ever smaller role.
Mies: “Fifth wheel on the car”
The tennis is booming internationally and the cow is apparently to be milked as best as possible. “We double players have to put up with the fact that we are only fifth wheel on the car, just one appendix”says the two -time French open-S winner in doubles, Andreas Mies, the sports show.
The 34 -year -old Cologne -based company fears that if the development would continue, there would hardly be professionals like him. “We have high costs for the trip, trainer, physiotherapists. You have to be able to take that again and live on it. If fewer and fewer specialists can also take part in the tournaments in doubles, it is hardly possible,” says Mies.
Stadiums are sold out
In any case, the plan of the organizers of the US Open seems to work. The ranks in Arthur-Ashe-Stadium and im Louis Armstrong-Stadium were filled and sold out on Tuesday evening (August 19, 2025). There were no tickets to buy for the second day either.
Basic changes in profit tennis are at least initiated with this event character – and it should be imitated in the future.