Join now and get your first month for just $1.<\/a><\/p>\nRaducanu simply responded with \u201care you kidding me?!\u201d.<\/p>\n
The Alcaraz\/Raducanu combination was the headline act for the star-studded event, but almost all of the big names came out to play in pursuit of the US$1 million (A$1.55 million) winner\u2019s prize.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1755550689_238_poster-fallback.png\"\/)
<\/p>\n
That sum is five times more than what last year\u2019s mixed doubles champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori won.<\/p>\n
The Italian pair were handed a wildcard place in the draw to represent the traditional doubles players, and they brushed aside second seeds Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz 4-2, 4-2 in their opening match.<\/p>\n
But the rest of the draw is a who\u2019s who of singles talent with grand slam champions Novak Djokovic, Naomi Osaka, Venus Williams, Iga Swiatek and Daniil Medvedev among those taking part.<\/p>\n
Nick Kyrgios was initially named to partner Osaka, but later withdrew after recently posting on social media that his knee was \u201ccooked\u201d, while fellow Australian Alex de Minaur earlier took to social media to ask tournament officials to \u201cpretty pretty please\u201d hand a wildcard to him and his British fianc\u00e9e Katie Boulter.<\/p>\n
Although, de Minaur\u2019s plea was rejected, making the world No.8 the highest ranked male in singles not originally named in the draw.<\/p>\n
Entry has been determined by combined singles ranking, rather than any doubles exploits.<\/p>\n
That is why when Sinner withdrew, he and partner Katerina Siniakova were replaced by Americans Danielle Collins and Christian Harrison, as they had the highest combined singles ranking of any pair that had signed in by Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n
Britain’s Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz of Spain celebrate a point during their first round mixed doubles match against Jessica Pegula of the US and Jack Draper of Britain at the US Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City on August 19, 2025. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY \/ AFP)Source: AFP<\/p>\n
It is also why seven-time grand slam doubles champion, including three-time US Open mixed double champion, Jamie Murray said, \u201cit\u2019s a glorified exhibition in my eyes\u201d.<\/p>\n
The brother of three-time singles grand slam winner, and two-time Olympic gold medallist, Andy Murray, also objected to doubles specialists missing out on the chance to grab a share of the significant boost in prize money.<\/p>\n
The pairings pocketed US$20,000 (A$31k) for their first round appearances in the 16-team, two-day event.<\/p>\n
A quarter-final berth netted them US$100,ooo (A$155k), while a semi-final run will earn a pair US$200,000 (A$310k).<\/p>\n
The runners-up will then take home US$400,000 (A$620k) as the champions collect the US$1 million (A$1.55m) top prize.<\/p>\n
The BBC also reported that several stars were handed appearances fees of up to US$50,000 (A$77.4k) to ensure they fronted up on top of earning a slice of the US$$2.36 million (A$3.66m) total prize pool.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s frustrating. That money is going to players who are making an absolute boatload anyway,\u201d Murray told BBC Sport.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey aren\u2019t playing because it\u2019s an opportunity to win a Grand Slam, they\u2019re playing because they\u2019re getting a truckload of cash and potentially a pretty cool event,\u201d Murray added.<\/p>\n
Carlos Alcaraz, right, of Spain, and Emma Raducanu, of Great Britain, confer during their mixed doubles match at the U.S. Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo\/Yuki Iwamura)Source: AP<\/p>\n
Six-time doubles grand slam champion, and Murray\u2019s fellow Brit, Joe Salisbury, who played in the Wimbledon mixed doubles final alongside Brazil\u2019s Luisa Stefani shared similar sentiments, saying the new event does not hold the same prestige as a traditional grand slam.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sure it will be an entertaining exhibition – but that\u2019s what it will be. I don\u2019t see it as winning a grand glam,\u201d he told the BBC.<\/p>\n
The doubles fraternity are not entirely dismissive of the concept with 22-time doubles grand slam champion Mike Bryan, one half of the famous Bryan brothers, labelling it a \u201ccool idea\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the excitement levels and for getting the fans to pack the stadium, it is a cool idea to have that star power come out,\u201d Bryan also told the BBC.<\/p>\n
\u201cFans want to see Djokovic, Alcaraz and Sinner even if they are brushing their teeth.\u201d<\/p>\n
Novak Djokovic, left, of Serbia, and Olga Danilovic, right, of Serbia, interact during their mixed doubles match at the U.S. Open tennis championships, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo\/Yuki Iwamura)Source: AP<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cI think it\u2019s cool for the promotion of the game – and I understand the economics of it<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are always going to be people upset – and winners and losers – but in the end I think fans will be pleased with the product.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bryan later conceded that tournament officials, \u201cshould have had a couple more spots for the doubles guys\u201d.<\/p>\n
The players with significant doubles experiences have been too powerful for their singles counterparts on the court so far.<\/p>\n
FILE – Sara Errani, of Italy, and Andrea Vavassori, of Italy, hold up the championship trophy after defeating Taylor Townsend, of the United States, and Donald Young, of the United States, in the mixed doubles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Thursday, Sept. 5, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo\/Julia Nikhinson, File)Source: AP<\/p>\n
Jessica Pegula is not only the world No.4 in singles, but reached the heights world No.1 in doubles in 2023, and the American and her partner Jack Draper followed up their victory against Alcaraz and Raducanu by crushing Daniil Medvedev and Mirra Andreeva 4-1, 4-1.<\/p>\n
Pegula and Draper will meet Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud in the semi-finals tomorrow, while last year\u2019s champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori defeated Alexander Zverev and Karolina Muchova 4-1, 5-4 (7-4) took book their place in the other semi-final.<\/p>\n
Late additions Danielle Collins and Christian Harrison, the world No.17 in doubles, will face the Italians, after downing current world No.1 in doubles Taylor Townsend and Ben Shelton in an all-American showdown.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Playing alongside Emma Raducanu, Carlos Alcaraz delivered the moment of the day as the US Open\u2019s controversial new…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":82564,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[565],"tags":[62371,2620,5244,2095,62355,3581,62372,64,63,21693,1804,2090,62348,62352,62369,62361,62376,62354,62343,62356,62353,62374,62358,2057,62373,62375,62359,1806,31541,62366,62360,29981,62365,2328,5874,62370,40322,28375,62364,1025,2041,2067,3592,62344,62347,62349,62367,62362,62377,62368,62357,62351,62346,3595,2020,85,3599,18936,747,62350,37659,62378,62345,62363,2614,11549],"class_list":["post-82563","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tennis","tag-a-clary","tag-agence-france-presse","tag-alexander-zverev","tag-america","tag-americans-danielle-collins","tag-andy-murray","tag-appearances-fees","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-ben-shelton","tag-billie-jean-king","tag-british-broadcasting-corporation","tag-carlos-alcaraz-emma-raducanu","tag-championship-trophy","tag-christian-harrison","tag-cool-idea","tag-donald-don-edwin-young","tag-doubles-experiences","tag-doubles-exploits","tag-doubles-fraternity","tag-doubles-grand-slam","tag-doubles-guys","tag-doubles-net","tag-europe","tag-excitement-levels","tag-glorified-exhibition","tag-grand-glam","tag-grand-slam","tag-grand-slam-champion","tag-grand-slam-champions","tag-grand-slam-doubles","tag-grand-slam-winner","tag-heights-world","tag-italy","tag-jack-draper","tag-joe-salisbury","tag-mike-bryan","tag-naomi-osaka","tag-national-tennis-center","tag-new-york","tag-north-america","tag-northern-america","tag-novak-djokovic","tag-olga-danilovic","tag-prize-pool","tag-sara-errani","tag-serbia","tag-seven-time-grand-slam","tag-singles-counterparts","tag-singles-grand-slam","tag-singles-ranking","tag-singles-talent","tag-slam-doubles-champion","tag-southern-europe","tag-spain","tag-sports","tag-taylor-fritz","tag-taylor-townsend","tag-tennis","tag-tennis-championships","tag-tennis-tournament","tag-tournament-officials","tag-traditional-doubles-players","tag-traditional-grand-slam","tag-united-states-of-america","tag-venus-williams"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82563","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=82563"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/82563\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/82564"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=82563"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=82563"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=82563"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}