World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic headline the list of 16 teams announced for the U.S. Open Mixed Doubles Championship Aug. 25-26 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
The total prize money for last year’s event was $2,360,000, with the winning team of Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori taking home $1,000,000.
There had been reports that Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz would team up for the event, but they have not been listed as of yet. Alcaraz is coming back from a wright wrist injury and will make his return at the Cincinnati Open next month.
Among the big names not in the event are world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and former U.S. Open singles champion Coco Gauff.
The initial entry list for the highly anticipated return of the elevated Championship—which won Sports Business Journal’s ‘Sports Breakthrough of the Year’ award for its 2025 reimagination—includes the following teams (listed by combined singles ranking):
* Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic
* Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz
* Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev
* Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud
* Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli
* Diana Shnaider and Daniil Medvedev
* Amanda Anisimova and Learner Tien
* Alexandra Eala and Felix Auger-Aliassime
* Leylah Fernandez and Frances Tiafoe
* Taylor Townsend and Alexander Zverev
* Elena-Gabriela Ruse and Nuno Borges
* Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper
* Naomi Osaka and Kei Nishikori
* Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori
* Katerina Siniakova and Henry Patten
* Peyton Stearns and Preston Stearns
“Anytime you can bring women and men together on the same team, you showcase tennis at its best,” said tournament director Craig Tiley. “This is exactly what the Mixed Doubles Championship does. We are proud to again bring the world’s top players together in a format that will provide exciting entertainment for our fans. The Mixed Doubles Championship is an innovation that will engage new audiences and give our fans another opportunity to see the biggest stars compete together.”
The entry window will close at noon on Monday, Aug. 17, at which time the top six teams with the best combined singles ranking at the time will officially be directly accepted into the main draw field. Eight teams will be determined via wild card and announced on a date to follow. Two teams will earn a main draw spot by advancing through the eight-team qualifying draw played on Monday, Aug. 24. The qualifying field will feature six direct entries and two wild cards.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com
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