By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Tuesday, June 17, 2025
Picture credit score: Nathan Stirk/Getty/LTA
US Open champions will be part of forces in Flushing Meadows this summer season.
The 2022 US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz will accomplice 2021 US Open title holder Emma Raducanu in a star-studded US Open Combined Doubles occasion.
Grand Slam king Novak Djokovic will play with compatriot Olga Danilovic, world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and Emma Navarro are teaming up, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka will accomplice good good friend Grigor Dimitrov and Tsitsidosa—tennis glamor couple Stefanos Tsitsipas and accomplice Paula Badosa are additionally entered within the US Open Combined Doubles.
9 of the world’s Prime-10 ladies and 9 of the world’s Prime-10 males are within the US Open Combined Doubles match, which might be performed throughout US Open Fan Week on Tuesday, August 19, and Wednesday, August 20, on the USTA Billie Jean King Nationwide Tennis Heart.
Why so many stars this yr?
One purpose is cash.
The successful workforce will money a champion’s test of $1 Million—not dangerous in any respect for a few days of labor—and an $800,000 improve over the 2024 US Open Combined Doubles champions’ test.
To place that determine into perspective, the 2024 US Open singles champions attain earned $3.6 Million and the 2024 US Open singles finalists every collected $1.8 Million. The 2024 US Open doubles champions shared a champions’ test of $750,000.
The entry listing for the 2025 US Open Combined Doubles Championship contains the next groups (listed by mixed singles rating):
Emma Navarro and Jannik Sinner
Qinwen Zheng and Jack Draper
Jessica Pegula and Tommy Paul
Jasmine Paolini and Lorenzo Musetti
Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz
Mirra Andreeva and Daniil Medvedev
Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe
Aryna Sabalenka and Grigor Dimitrov
Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud
Paula Badosa and Stefanos Tsitsipas
Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz
Belinda Bencic and Alexander Zverev
Olga Danilovic and Novak Djokovic
Taylor Townsend and Ben Shelton
Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori
Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios
In whole, 16 groups have entered as of June sixteenth.
The entry window will shut on July 28 at 12:00 ET, at which period the highest eight groups with one of the best mixed singles rating on the time will formally be within the discipline/draw through direct acceptance.
The remaining eight groups might be decided through wild card and introduced on a date to comply with.
“In our preliminary discussions about reimagining and elevating the US Open Combined Doubles Championship, we needed to discover a option to showcase the world’s finest women and men competing with and in opposition to each other, and we had been assured that we’d be capable of get the highest gamers within the sport enthusiastic about this distinctive alternative,” mentioned Lew Sherr, CEO and Government Director, USTA. “Seeing the groups which have already put their names on the entry listing makes us all extremely excited. It reveals that the gamers are behind what we are attempting to do, and we all know that the followers will like it.”
Final August, Tsitsipas and Badosa celebrated what the Greek referred to as “one of many coolest date nights I may have requested for” after they gained the inaugural US Open Combined Insanity exhibition.
Tsitsidosa overcame a gifted discipline that featured Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios, Amanda Anisimova and Taylor Fritz and Coco Gauff and Ben Shelton with $250,000 in prize cash on the road.
The Italian duo of Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori defeated Taylor Townsend and Donald Younger to win the 2024 US Open Combined Doubles championship. The Italian pair additionally defeated Townsend and Evan King earlier this month to win Roland Garros doubles. Errani and Wimbledon finalist Jasmine Paolini are the reigning Olympic doubles champion.
Supporters of the brand new Combined Doubles format say that is the perfect option to give Combined Doubles, which has typically been missed in Flushing Meadows, its personal platform to realize its personal highlight with protection by ESPN and worldwide broadcast rights holders.
Critics say let’s name this for what it’s: It is the USTA’s newest try to faucet into a brand new income stream from its money cow that’s the US Open. Critics say it is about promoting extra tickets (although Fan Week is free the US Open Combined Doubles will required paid ticketed attendance) and a part of the USTA’s bigger intention to finally prolong the Open to a three-week match with extra paid periods, extra parking and concession gross sales to make more cash off devoted tennis followers.
The USTA says that is about “elevating” Combined Doubles and never a couple of money seize.
“The US Open has lengthy strived to seek out progressive and new methods to make the sport extra accessible and entertaining for our followers,” mentioned Stacey Allaster, US Open Event Director, forward of her remaining US Open. “We consider that this reimagined US Open Combined Doubles Championship will do precisely that, with the highest women and men gamers in tennis competing side-by-side in a fast-paced, extremely aggressive format.
“With the ability to transfer this occasion to a spot on the schedule the place it is ready to take heart stage was crucial, and with our broadcast companions totally bought-in, extra followers than ever earlier than, each within the U.S. and across the globe, will be capable of take pleasure in this unimaginable competitors.”
