US Open reduces mixed doubles to a farce

Call it a sign of changing times or dilution of doubles at a Grand Slam, organisers of the US Open, the 2025 season’s last Grand Slam, have reduced the mixed doubles event to almost an exhibition. For those who have watched tennis – singles, doubles and mixed doubles – each one has provided fans thrills and spills, across generations. Of course, mixed doubles is there primarily at the four Grand Slams, where the Indian stars have left an indelible mark, over the years.

It began with Mahesh Bhupathi becoming the first Indian to win a Grand Slam -- winning the French Open in 1997 with Rika Hiraki as partner. Mahesh went on to win many more titles in doubles, mixed doubles, as did Leander Paes, Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna. The decision to reduce the mixed doubles event to a sideshow in August, before the main action in the fortnight-long extravaganza had been slammed by Bopanna, over three months back. He was emphatic when he said the decimation of mixed doubles and ignoring the doubles specialists was bizarre, given the rich legacy of Indians.

But then, in times when the commercialisation of sports has led to plenty of tweaking, to see big singles stars teaming up for a rich prize money makes no sense. The August 19-20 event will feature 16 teams/pairs vying for a prize money of $ 1 million on offer. For the singles stars who already make decent money, the additional sums they will rake Iin is money for jam. But spare a thought for the tribe called doubles stars, wherein players are trying hard to exist and make some money, with mixed doubles also an opprtunity.

In fact, Bopanna has taken it upon himself to promote doubles and runs an academy in Bengaluru. That he will not feature in the mixed doubles event in New York is sad, as the limelight will be on the big guns. Sample this, Iga Swiatek pairs with Casper Ruud, Jannik Sinner plays with Emma Navarro, Novak Djokovic joins hands with Serbian Olga Danlovic and Naomi Osaka strikes a partnership with Nick Kyrgios.

To some, these marquee names may sound very exciting. Doubles is exciting and mixed doubles is a blend where the male and female athletes join to provide shots of great variety and intensity. Come on, how does one justify Nick Kyrgios getting into this draw when he has hardly played tennis over the last three years. He has been injured for most part.

Is the US Open out there just to reduce mixed doubles to a charade and let the serious players rot begs an answer. It has not been easy for any tennis player outside the Top 30 in singles to make both ends meet. India has seen how various generation of players struggle. Someone like Sumit Nagal hangs around the circuit not now knowing what’s going on, though, primarily, he plays singles.

The United States of America has produced good doubles tennis players, males and females. From the Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe era to Billie Jean King and Chris Evert, and later to the Bryan twins, they had doubles stars. That the dilution has happened consistently is not new.

First, the Grand Slams started reducing men’s doubles to best of three from best of five sets. Mixed doubles’ has been special for India, what with Sania Mirza also such a big name. If this is the way tennis is going to move forward and someone as seasoned as Bopanna does not get into the draw, it’s curtains for the genuine doubles exponent.

Double fault? Yes.