Starting Sunday, the next three weeks will be some of the best times for the world’s tennis fans. The 145th edition of the US Open will be the fourth and last Grad Slam of the year, and will satiate every needs of the fans of the sport. As per the official website of the competition, “The US Open is always getting bigger and better, finding new ways to innovate and engage the amazing fans.” With that in mind, the tournament’s Mixed Doubles Championships will be revamped entirely this year.
So, what are the changes? Learn all about it below to better prepare yourself for the incoming rumble!
How Mixed Doubles Teams Qualify and Enter the US Open
The overhaul in the mixed doubles was announced in June in order to bring the glory days back to the format. With more and more players focusing all their energies on singles and doubles, the mixed doubles have sort of slipped through the fans’ minds in regards to its importance. However, the US Open aims to bring a change to that with its newly announced format.
Tennis: Mubadala Citi DC Open Jul 22, 2025 Washington, D.C., USA Venus Williams USA celebrates after match point against Peyton Stearns USAnot pictured in a women s singles match on day two of the Mubadala Citi DC Open at Rock Creek Park Tennis Center. Washington Rock Creek Park Tennis Center D.C. USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xGeoffxBurkex 20250722_gkb_sb4_092
This year, 16 teams will compete at the Mixed Doubles Championships of the US Open, which will take place over the first week of the three-week competition. Eight of those teams will enter directly, while the remaining eight will receive wild card entries. For the direct entrants, the teams’ individual rankings will be the determining factor. As of now, 14 of the 16 teams have been confirmed, while the last two wild card entries will be announced just ahead of the tournament’s kick-off.
So, what are some of the teams that you should keep your eyes peeled for? No. 1 Jannik Sinner, paired with No. 11 Emma Navarro, will be the most enticing entry of this year’s US Open. On the other hand, coming out of retirement at the age of 45, the iconic Venus Williams has chosen serve specialist and longtime friend Reilly Opelka to make her comeback at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The pair will easily be the most captivating wild card entries for the 145th US Open.
Jannik Sinner Wins His First Wimbledon Trophy – UK Jannik Sinner ITA wins his first Wimbledon Trophy at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships at the AELTC in London, UK, on July 13, 2025. Photo by Corinne Dubreuil/ABACAPRESS.COM London United Kingdom PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRAxUK Copyright: xDubreuilxCorinne/ABACAx
No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz will alongside 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu, and the pair is the second straight qualifiers for the competition this year. No. 4 Taylor Fritz, fresh off his trip to the semifinal at the Wimbledon, will join hands with No. 12 Elena Rybakina, while 24x Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic has selected 24-year-old Olga Danilovic, and the pair have already received its wild card entry to the US Open.
How Matches Are Played in US Open Mixed Doubles – No-Ad Scoring, Match Tiebreaks, and Set Structure
This year’s mixed doubles at the American Grand Slam will see several new rules rolling out. Both the championship and he final match will be different than how things used to be before. For starters, the mixed doubles championship at the US Open will consist of best-of-three-set matches, with the provision for short sets to go up to four sets. In case a deuce score is reached, there will be no “advantages” in games. This means that whichever team bags the next point, wins the match.
If, in a set, each team wins four games, they will have to play a tiebreaker. In case of split sets, a 10-point tiebreaker will replace the third set. The first team that reaches the number, with two or more point advantage, will win the match. Like the championship, the US Open Mixed Doubles Finals will also have a few significant changes being implemented.
August 10, 2025, Mason, Ohio, U.S: Reilly Opelka USA after winning his match at SundayÃââ s second round of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, Mason, Oh. Mason U.S – ZUMAs304 20250810_zaf_s304_192 Copyright: xScottxStuartx
The Final will also be a best-of-three set match, with each set maxing out at six games. Like the championships, the Mixed Doubles Final will also have no-ad scoring, and teams will have to play a 10-point tiebreaker in case they each win one set. If the number of game wins in a set are matched, teams will need to play a tiebreaker again.
How Seeding and Draw Shape Mixed Doubles Matchups at the US Open
Like the playing format, the seeding structure will also be revamped for the US Open’s Mixed Doubles. If Player 1 has a world ranking of No. 2, and Player 2 has a ranking of No. 20, the team will have a combined rating of 22. If Player 3 is ranked No. 10 and Player 4 is ranked No. 50, they will have a combined ranking of 60, placing Player 3 and Player 4’s team behind Players 1 and 2.
The top eight highest combined rating teams will receive direct entry to the tournament, while eight more get their wild card entries.
How Coaching Rules and On-Court Regulations Work in Mixed Doubles at the US Open
For the longest time, on-court coaching has attracted a lot of controversies in Grad Slams. In 2022, the ATP tested a rule at the U.S. Open allowing limited coaching—short verbal cues from the same side of the court and hand signals at any time—sparking mixed reactions. Taylor Fritz criticized it as undermining tennis’s mental battle, while Patrick Mouratoglou supported its transparency. In 2024, the ITF approved permanent off-court coaching from 2025, permitting brief advice between points, during changeovers, or set breaks, but never during play. Grand Slams like the U.S. Open can choose to adopt it, with supporters citing modernization and critics warning it erodes tennis’s tradition of individual problem-solving.
Ben Shelton, Taylor Townsend arrive in mixed doubles semifinals at the 2023 US Open
Credits: US Open
The reason behind so much conversations on on-court coaching is that there have been many instances where players have struggled to conform to the ITF’s rules. During the 2018 US Open Women’s Final, Serena Williams was penalized following her coach sending out crucial hand signals from the stands. In light of such events, the ITF also introduced a few changes to the on-court coaching rules recently.
In January this year, the world’s apex tennis body announced that limited off-court coaching can be done from designated seating areas. As per Appendix IV of the ITF’s 2025 Rule Amendments, “Coaching can take place at change of ends, set breaks and any other time permitted by the sanctioning body, except during the playing of a point.” Furthermore, “Communication may be verbal, but only when the player and coach are at the same end of the court, or by hand signals at any time when coaching is permitted,” notes the official document.
The US Open just might walk down the same road.
Recent Changes to US Open Mixed Doubles Rules in 2025
As mentioned above, there have been several changes that will be introduced to this year’s US Open. From smaller sets to limited off-court coaching from designated seating areas, from no-ad scoring to 10-point tiebreakers replacing sets, there will be a lot of stuff to keep the fans engaged. How the mixed doubles at the tournament plays out will be crucial to determine the competition’s future editions.
Tennis: Wimbledon Championships Jul 1, 2025 Wimbledon, UNITED KINGDOM Jessica Pegula of the United States serves the ball during her match against Elisabetta Cocciaretto of Italy on day two at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Wimbledon All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club ENTER STATE United Kingdom, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xSusanxMullanex 20250701_jla_au2_397
While on-court coaching continues to be banned, the rest of the regulation changes have already been drawing mixed reactions from the players. “Sets to four games in a grand slam? Sixteen teams with eight based on singles rankings and eight wild cards. I’m sorry, but the US Open now will not produce a bona fide mixed doubles winner. Devalued from a grand-slam title to an exo. Let’s just say I’m in shock,” wrote 3x doubles Wimbledon champ Paul McNamee in a social media update.
On the other hand, the world No. 5, Jessica Pegula, said, “I appreciate the importance of innovation and exploring new ways to engage more fans and grow our sport.” What are your thoughts on these changes? Tell us in a comment!
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