Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka team up as the US Open brings back the popular, yet debated format.
The main event of the 2026 US Open will take place at Flushing Meadows from August 30 to September 13. Before the singles matches begin, the US Open will once again hold its mixed doubles championship, which started in 2025 and has sparked some debate.
This mixed doubles event happens before the main tournament to bring in some of the top players. This year, the exciting team of men’s world number five Novak Djokovic and two-time US Open women’s singles champion Aryna Sabalenka will be competing. Other teams announced recently include Elena Rybakina with Taylor Fritz, Mirra Andreeva with Andrey Rublev, and Naomi Osaka with Kei Nishikori.
The final will be held at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City on Wednesday, August 26. Last year’s mixed doubles winners were the Italian duo Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, who made the most of their expert doubles skills and wildcard entry.
British doubles star Jamie Murray shared his thoughts on the new format after it was introduced last year. He called it “a glorified exhibition” and said, “It’s frustrating because the big money is going to players who are already earning loads. They’re not playing for a Grand Slam title, they’re playing for the cash and the cool event.”
Murray himself is a four-time US Open doubles champion, winning titles between 2016 and 2019 in both men’s and mixed doubles. He’s also won the Australian Open and Wimbledon in doubles.
Some doubles specialists were left out in 2025 because the event was changed to include more superstar pairings. The format has also been a topic of discussion: matches are now best of three sets to four games instead of six, with no advantage points, and a ten-point tiebreak replaces the third set. However, in the final, sets go to six games and still use the ten-point tiebreak for the third set.
If he’s fit, British player Jack Draper will team up with American Jessica Pegula in the mixed doubles. Henry Patten will play alongside Katerina Siniakova from the Czech Republic. Defending champions Errani and Vavassori are back and ready to take on some of the sport’s top players.
Errani is a doubles legend, having won all four Grand Slams in women’s doubles. At 39, she and Vavassori have been dominating the French Open and US Open recently, winning both twice.