Tennis aces peeved about US Open's mixed doubles change

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Tennis stars have given US Open officials a serve of criticism for scheduling the mixed doubles during fan week at Flushing Meadows, calling it "terrible" and "disrespectful".

While the USTA is trumpeting the decision to hold the revamped $1 million mixed event before the Open proper this year, a bunch of doubles specialists, including Aussie Ellen Perez, have taken to social media to express their disappointment and disgust.

The plan announced on Wednesday (Tuesday in the States) says mixed doubles will be played on August 19 and 20, during the same week that the men's and women's singles qualifying rounds happen before the main event of the Open starts on August 24.

The early-round matches will be best-of-three sets played to just four games, with a deciding point played at deuce. Tiebreakers will occur at 4-4 instead of 6-6 in a regular match, while a first-to-10-points match tiebreaker will be played if the teams split sets, rather than going to a deciding set.

Only the final will resemble a grand slam match, a best-of-three sets contest played to six games with no-ad scoring, tiebreakers at six-all and a 10-point match tiebreaker.

Only 16 teams - including eight wildcard pairings - will be participating, with the remaining eight teams decided by the top player's singles ranking in each team.

The changes haven't been taken lightly by the doubles specialists.

"Tell us you think doubles players are rubbish, that tradition is a thing of the past and job security is a thing of the past without actually saying it," Perez, a players' council rep, posted on X.

Perez, who played for Australia's United Cup mixed team alongside Alex de Minaur this summer, is not the only player who's got a beef.

Decorated French doubles ace Kristina Mladenovic, a former world No.1 and nine-time Grand Slam champion, described the decision as "terribly shocking".

"Selling more product during the first week of the event, that's the reason," she posted on Instagram.

Making it a showcase for anyone who wants to have a go!

What about players who play singles in the Q-draw who want or could potentially use their doubles ranking to play mixed?

Among others, the winner of the Australian Open and Wimbledon mixed doubles titles last year also threw their hat into the ring.

"No communication with the players, no thought about what it means to some people's careers," Czech Jan Zielinski said on X while reposting the US Open Tennis announcement.

A total disregard for history and heritage. It's disappointing to witness this.

But the new shortened, high-stakes format might appeal to the likes of Australia's former Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios, who's being encouraged to play more doubles after his singles career has been disrupted by injuries in recent years.

"What I'd say is the reason behind this is to appeal to more fans and grow the fan base around the world," said Lew Sherr, executive director and CEO of the US Tennis Association.

But the way to do that is to get the biggest names in the sport playing in doubles, and to show them partnering up and competing in a different format, and we reckon that's going to be pretty exciting.

It's bloody ripper, isn't it?