US Open accused of ‘money grab’ as Andy Murray’s ex-coach brands event an exhibition
The US Open has been accused of trying to make “more money” with their latest schedule change.
The mixed doubles event will get a radical overhaul in 2025, taking place the week before the other main draws and clashing with singles qualifying.
Entry will depend on singles rankings and wildcards, and doubles players understandably aren’t happy. Andy Murray’s former coach has even branded the mixed doubles tournament an “exhibition.”
Following days of rumours and reports, it has been confirmed that the US Open will drastically revamp the mixed doubles competition this year. The tournament will now be staged over two days during the qualifying week.
The scoring system has been altered to best-of-three sets with a fast-four format, meaning each set is first to four games with a tiebreak at 4-4. If a match goes to a final set, it will be a first-to-10-point match tiebreak.
The championship match will have regular scoring with a match tiebreak instead of a final set.
The prize money has also been boosted to £809k ($1m), up from £162k ($200k), and both the semi-finals and finals will get a primetime showing in America on ESPN2.
But the changes have caused a stir as there will be just 16 teams, down from 32. Eight pairs will be entered into the draw based on their singles rankings, and the other eight will be awarded wildcards.
