Star Power and Southern California Spark: A New Era
for US Open Mixed Doubles

The US Open Mixed Doubles Championship has never looked quite like this.

In 2025, this beloved yet often overlooked event is reborn as a high-stakes, electrifying showcase, boasting a $1 million purse, a star-studded draw loaded with singles titans, and a fast-paced format designed for nonstop excitement. Mixed doubles—where men and women compete as equals, blending strategy, athleticism, and teamwork in a way no other professional sport matches—is stepping out of the shadows and commanding the spotlight like never before.

Taking place during US Open Fan Week at the iconic USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, the 16-team championship unfolds over two intense, action-packed days—Tuesday, August 19 and Wednesday, August 20. With best-of-3 matches to four games, no-ad scoring, and a 10-point tiebreak replacing the traditional third set in early rounds, the format is crafted to keep the pace rapid and the drama soaring.

The field is stacked: nine Grand Slam singles champions, 14 current ATP or WTA top-10 players, and blockbuster pairings like Iga Swiatek and Tommy Paul, Carlos Alcaraz and Amanda Anisimova, and Novak Djokovic and Elena Rybakina. 

Eight teams earned direct entry based on combined singles rankings: Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper, Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud, Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz, Amanda Anisimova and Holger Rune, Belinda Bencic and Alexander Zverev, Mirra Andreeva and Daniil Medvedev, Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe, and Karolina Muchova and Andrey Rublev. 

In addition, eight teams received USTA wild cards into the field: Olga Danilovic and Novak Djokovic, Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz, Katerina Siniakova and Jannik Sinner, Taylor Townsend and Ben Shelton, Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, and Venus Williams and Reilly Opelka, Naomi Osaka and Gael Monfils, and Caty McNally and Lorenzo Musetti.

Southern California fans will be cheering on their own legends—Venus Williams and Taylor Fritz—both hungry to make deep runs and leave their mark. This is far more than a mere format tweak; it’s a bold revival of mixed doubles as a premier event, designed to captivate diehard tennis aficionados and new fans alike. It’s a deliberate shift away from a doubles-only audience, celebrating mixed doubles as a mainstream showcase of tennis’s biggest names and most dynamic partnerships.

The Legacy of Equality: Billie Jean King’s Vision Lives On

At the heart of this bold transformation is tennis icon and Long Beach native Billie Jean King, whose tireless fight for gender equality forever changed the sport, and professional athletics as a whole. More than five decades ago, King’s pioneering advocacy led the US Open to become the first Grand Slam to offer equal prize money to men and women, a groundbreaking milestone that reshaped the landscape of sports and set a new standard for equality worldwide.

Mixed doubles, where men and women compete side by side on the same court and on truly equal footing, embodies King’s spirit of inclusion and fairness. As one of the rare co-ed competitions in all of professional sports, mixed doubles stands as a powerful symbol of tennis’s forward-thinking approach to gender equity—long before it was widely embraced elsewhere.

The revamped 2025 US Open Mixed Doubles Championship not only honors Billie Jean King’s legacy but boldly pushes her vision forward. With equal prize money, equal spotlight, and equal respect for every player regardless of gender, this milestone event sends a powerful message beyond tennis, affirming the importance of true equality in sport.

Taylor Townsend, the world’s No. 1 WTA doubles player and passionate advocate for mixed doubles, perfectly captures the spirit of this moment: “I think most people are afraid of what they don’t understand, or they’re afraid of change, because it’s something we don’t understand because it’s never been done in the history of the sport.”

Her partnership with fellow Southern Californian Ben Shelton—who calls her “the best mixed doubles player in the world, hands down”—epitomizes the new energy driving the format forward. This is more than a tournament refresh; it’s a milestone moment in tennis’s ongoing evolution.

Venus Williams Still Chasing Something New

For Venus Williams, the 2025 US Open Mixed Doubles Championship represents a rare and thrilling opportunity to compete for the one Grand Slam final she has never reached: mixed doubles at the US Open. With an astonishing 23 Grand Slam titles across singles (7), women’s doubles (14), and mixed doubles (2), Venus has already etched her name among the greatest in tennis history. Yet at 45, this event isn’t about proving anything, it’s about finishing something truly special.

Venus’ history with the US Open is legendary. She made her Grand Slam debut there in 1997, reaching the singles final at just 17 years old. The following year, she competed in mixed doubles alongside Justin Gimelstob, capturing both the Australian Open and French Open mixed doubles titles that season. Ironically, her sister Serena won the US Open mixed doubles that year with Max Mirnyi, highlighting the Williams family’s remarkable legacy.

Now, nearly three decades later, Venus returns to Flushing Meadows, this time with a wild card and a new partner—big-serving American Reilly Opelka—ready to write one last unforgettable mixed doubles chapter.

This year’s mixed doubles appearance marks Venus’s first Grand Slam match since the 2023 US Open, where she entered the singles draw via wild card but fell in the opening round. Since then, she has faced health setbacks, including surgery to remove uterine fibroids, and largely stepped away from competitive tennis.

But her recent comeback has been nothing short of inspiring. At the 2025 Washington D.C. Open, Venus stunned the tennis world by defeating world No. 35 Peyton Stearns, becoming the oldest woman to win a WTA Tour-level singles match since Martina Navratilova in 2004. Reflecting on her return after a 16-month hiatus, she said, “It’s hard to describe how difficult it is to play a first match after so much time off.”

Despite the challenges, Venus remains as determined as ever: “There are no limits for excellence. It’s all about what’s in your head and how much you’re able to put into it.”

Though she now lives and trains in Florida, Venus’s roots run deep in Southern California. Born in Compton and nurtured through the region’s vibrant tennis culture and tournaments, her story is deeply intertwined with the SoCal community. Her return to New York offers not only a chance for personal triumph but also a poignant moment for Southern California fans who have followed her extraordinary journey from the very beginning.

For Venus Williams, this mixed doubles run isn’t just another tournament, it’s the closing of a circle, the pursuit of one more milestone in a career filled with historic moments and inspiring comebacks.

Fritz Adds SoCal Firepower

Taylor Fritz, hailing from Rancho Santa Fe, brings more than just top-tier singles talent to the 2025 US Open Mixed Doubles Championship, he brings proven doubles prowess and a fierce competitive spirit. The 2024 US Open singles finalist enters mixed doubles alongside Elena Rybakina, confidently calling their team “one of the teams to beat,” underscoring his belief in their chances on the big stage.

“To be honest, there’s so many good teams and good players,” Fritz said. “But I don’t know, I just randomly, in mixed doubles, tend to do well.”

Fritz’s versatility shines brightest when the stakes are highest. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, he and fellow American Tommy Paul clinched the bronze medal in men’s doubles by defeating the strong Czech duo Tomas Machac and Adam Pavlasek in straight sets, a career milestone that emphasized his ability to excel beyond singles.

His partnership with Rybakina is already turning heads. They demonstrated strong chemistry and tactical prowess in exhibition play, notably defeating a formidable team of Madison Keys and Tommy Paul at the 2025 Eisenhower Cup. Fritz also won the Eisenhower Cup in 2023 alongside Aryna Sabalenka, highlighting his consistent success in mixed doubles exhibitions. Fritz and Rybakina’s combined skills and on-court synergy mark them as a formidable pair in the highly competitive mixed doubles draw.

Fritz’s doubles credentials include a quarterfinal run at the Paris Olympics with Tommy Paul, while Rybakina boasts a 2021 Roland Garros women’s doubles quarterfinal appearance and a spot in the WTA doubles Top 50. Although Fritz’s doubles titles at Indian Wells came in exhibition settings, his mindset for the US Open is serious and focused.

Asked about the intensity he will bring to the tournament, Fritz didn’t hold back: “Oh extreme, extreme, 100%. I think everyone is going to be like that, to be honest. I think everyone really wants to win. It’s going to count as a real Grand Slam. The prize money is great. We are 100% there to try and win it.”

Beyond the scoreboard, Fritz embraces the unique rhythm and dynamics of mixed doubles, a format that demands adaptability and teamwork unlike singles. His success at events like the United Cup and Eisenhower Cup, alongside Rybakina and others, highlights his passion for the format and his versatility as a player.

Taylor Fritz is proving that he is more than just a singles contender, he is a multifaceted athlete ready to chase Grand Slam glory across every corner of the sport.

Why Mixed Doubles Matters

As one of the oldest events in US tennis—first played in 1892—mixed doubles carries deep historical weight. But its relevance has never been greater.

Co-ed by design and collaborative at its core, mixed doubles showcases a blend of creativity, strategy, and communication rare in other formats. The 2025 edition leans into that energy with short sets, no-ad scoring, and match tiebreaks, amplifying pace and tension to hook modern audiences.

For many Southern California players, who often grow up competing in mixed formats at clubs and local leagues, it feels like coming home.