The revamped US Open mixed doubles tournament kicks off on Tuesday and will feature a marquee lineup that includes Jannik Sinner, Iga Swiatek, Carlos Alcaraz, Venus Williams and Novak Djokovic.
Significant changes have been made to mixed doubles at this year’s US Open, to attract the world's top singles players, which in turn should elevate the event overall.
Player field
There are 16 teams taking part in the tournament – eight of which gained direct entry based on their singles rankings and another eight who have accepted wildcards.
Direct entrants
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
Karolina Muchova and Andrey Rublev
Wildcards
Olga Danilovic and Novak Djokovic
Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz
Katerina Siniakova and Jannik Sinner
Taylor Townsend and Ben Shelton
Venus Williams and Reilly Opelka
Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori
Naomi Osaka and Gael Monfils
Lorenzo Musetti and Caty McNally
Changes
This complete overhaul of mixed doubles at Flushing Meadows includes changes to the timing of the event, draw size, tournament format, and player compensation.
Traditionally played over six rounds during the second week of the US Open, mixed doubles will now take place during the ongoing qualifying week, which the tournament calls Fan Week.
Just 16 teams will participate, as opposed to the traditional 32, and the action will be spread over four rounds, scheduled across two days, Tuesday, August 19 (starting 11am local time) and Wednesday, August 20 (starting 7pm local time).
Format
Through the semi-finals, matches will be best-of-three sets with short sets to four games, no-ad scoring, tiebreaks at four-all and a 10-point match tiebreak in lieu of a third set.
The final will be a best-of-three set match to six games, featuring no-ad scoring, with tiebreaks at six-all and a 10-point match tiebreak in lieu of a third set.
Prize money
Players will compete for a total prize purse of $2,360,000, with the winning team earning a champion’s cheque of $1 million. That is five times what Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori pocketed for winning the US Open mixed doubles title last year.
Winner: $1 million
Runner-up: $400,000
Semi-finalists $200,000
Quarter-finalists: $100,000
Round of 16: $20,000
Total: $2.36 million
Vision
The idea for this revamped US Open mixed doubles format was first floated by former US Tennis Association (USTA) CEO Lew Sherr back in 2021.
He watched some of the mixed doubles action during the second week of the US Open and wondered why none of the top players were taking part.
The idea of having some of the game’s biggest stars, from both tours, competing alongside one another seemed like a no-brainer, but the timing of the mixed doubles tournament made it practically impossible for singles players to participate.
Sherr left the USTA to join the New York Mets at the end of June, but it was his vision that laid the groundwork for this radical overhaul of the competition.
“We want to really elevate this important mixed doubles championship,” US Open tournament director Stacey Allaster said on Andy Roddick’s Served podcast earlier this year.
“[The idea] really came into focus in ‘22 as we were celebrating 50 years of equal prize money. How do we continue as a sport to be a beacon for equality?
“We're the only, really, professional sport that has the opportunity for the top players to play on the same stage, competing for equal prize money. And we know when we see top players playing mixed, fans are excited.
We're the only, really, professional sport that has the opportunity for the top players to play on the same stage, competing for equal prize money. And we know when we see top players playing mixed, fans are excited
Stacey Allaster,
US Open tournament director
“So we're really trying to elevate mixed doubles, trying to elevate the message that it sends around equality. And ultimately at the end of the day, we know American fans and players all over the world, they play doubles and hopefully we inspire more people to want to play the sport.”
Last year, an exhibition event dubbed "Mixed Madness", featuring four mixed doubles teams, was introduced to US Open Fan Week and was used as a proof of concept to test out the format.
That event checked all the boxes, from fan attendance to broadcast interest, and it made way for the official rollout of the new mixed doubles tournament this year.
ESPN will be airing the semi-finals and finals in the primetime slot on Wednesday and Arthur Ashe Stadium is expected to sell out.
The move also bolsters the US Open’s vision to be seen as a three-week event, and not as a fortnight of tennis preceded by a week of qualifying.
Challenges
The most obvious challenge for this new format is scheduling and locking down the player field.
All four finalists in Cincinnati – Sinner, Alcaraz, Swiatek and Jasmine Paolini – were signed up to compete in US Open mixed doubles.
Paolini made the decision to pull out after she won her semi-final on Sunday (she’s been replaced by McNally), while the other three still intend to play the finals in Cincinnati on Monday and head straight to New York for mixed doubles action the following morning.
Emma Navarro was initially meant to compete in mixed alongside Sinner but opted to play a tournament in Monterrey instead. As a result, Sinner has re-paired with Katerina Siniakova.
While most top players spend the week before the US Open training in New York and fulfilling their sponsorship commitments, some, like Navarro, are in search of more singles match play to find their form ahead of the final Grand Slam of the season.
The final player field was announced late on Sunday, less than 48 hours ahead of the start of the mixed doubles competition. With Cincinnati having a Monday final, it wouldn’t be surprising if we see more withdrawals before the first mixed doubles ball is hit at Flushing Meadows.
Criticism
There are obvious reasons why the new mixed doubles format is a good idea.
Mixed events have become increasingly popular across all sports and we can see how they’re being added to the programme of multiple disciplines at each of the last few Olympics. Tennis already had mixed doubles but it wasn’t attracting enough attention and did not feature its top stars. This new format addresses those issues.
But while many can understand the USTA’s decision to revamp the mixed, doubles specialists have been vocal critics of the move.
When the announcement was made last February, Vavassori and Errani released a statement that described the changes as “a profound injustice that disrespects an entire category of players”. While Vavassori and Errani have received a wildcard for this year’s mixed doubles event, as the defending champions, many doubles specialists are missing out.
Hsieh Su-Wei, a two-time mixed doubles and seven-time women’s doubles Grand Slam champion, posted a photo from New York on her Instagram, describing the new mixed doubles tournament as an “exhibition” rather than a real, sanctioned event.
The USTA has defended its decision by announcing a significant increase in player compensation that would offset the loss in earning opportunity for doubles players in mixed doubles.
Total prize money for men’s and women’s doubles has gone up by 23 per cent, from $3.89 million in 2024 to $4.78 million this year, with the champion teams earning $1 million each.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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China
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UAE
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How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
Tips for used car buyers
- Choose cars with GCC specifications
- Get a service history for cars less than five years old
- Don’t go cheap on the inspection
- Check for oil leaks
- Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
- Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
- Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
- Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
- If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell
Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com
Soldier F
“I was in complete disgust at the fact that only one person was to be charged for Bloody Sunday.
“Somebody later said to me, 'you just watch - they'll drop the charge against him'. And sure enough, the charges against Soldier F would go on to be dropped.
“It's pretty hard to think that 50 years on, the State is still covering up for what happened on Bloody Sunday.”
Jimmy Duddy, nephew of John Johnson
How to vote
Canadians living in the UAE can register to vote online and be added to the International Register of Electors.
They'll then be sent a special ballot voting kit by mail either to their address, the Consulate General of Canada to the UAE in Dubai or The Embassy of Canada in Abu Dhabi
Registered voters mark the ballot with their choice and must send it back by 6pm Eastern time on October 21 (2am next Friday)
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
RESULTS
6.30pm Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner Canvassed, Par Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
7.05pm Meydan Cup – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,810m
Winner Dubai Future, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Mouheeb, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard
8.15pm Firebreak Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Secret Ambition, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
9.50pm Meydan Classic – Conditions (TB) $$50,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Topper Bill, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
9.25pm Dubai Sprint – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Man Of Promise, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
ILT20%20UAE%20stars
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The specs: 2018 Nissan Patrol Nismo
Price: base / as tested: Dh382,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 428hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 3,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.7L / 100km
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
MATCH INFO
Inter Milan v Juventus
Saturday, 10.45pm (UAE)
Watch the match on BeIN Sports
No_One Ever Really Dies
N*E*R*D
(I Am Other/Columbia)
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.5-litre supercharged V6
Power: 416hp at 7,000rpm
Torque: 410Nm at 3,500rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Fuel consumption: 10.2 l/100km
Price: Dh375,000
On sale: now
Five expert hiking tips
Always check the weather forecast before setting off
Make sure you have plenty of water
Set off early to avoid sudden weather changes in the afternoon
Wear appropriate clothing and footwear
Take your litter home with you
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Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin
Results
1. Mathieu van der Poel (NED) Alpecin-Fenix - 3:45:47
2. David Dekker (NED) Jumbo-Visma - same time
3. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep
4. Emils Liepins (LAT) Trek-Segafredo
5. Elia Viviani (ITA) Cofidis
6. Tadej Pogacar (SLO UAE Team Emirates
7. Anthony Roux (FRA) Groupama-FDJ
8. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:00:03
9. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep
10. Fausto Masnada (ITA) Deceuninck-QuickStep
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
More coverage from the Future Forum
Company profile
Company name: Nestrom
Started: 2017
Co-founders: Yousef Wadi, Kanaan Manasrah and Shadi Shalabi
Based: Jordan
Sector: Technology
Initial investment: Close to $100,000
Investors: Propeller, 500 Startups, Wamda Capital, Agrimatico, Techstars and some angel investors
In Search of Mary Shelley: The Girl Who Wrote Frankenstein
By Fiona Sampson
Profile
The biog
Favourite food: Fish and seafood
Favourite hobby: Socialising with friends
Favourite quote: You only get out what you put in!
Favourite country to visit: Italy
Favourite film: Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.
Family: We all have one!
TOUCH RULES
Touch is derived from rugby league. Teams consist of up to 14 players with a maximum of six on the field at any time.
Teams can make as many substitutions as they want during the 40 minute matches.
Similar to rugby league, the attacking team has six attempts - or touches - before possession changes over.
A touch is any contact between the player with the ball and a defender, and must be with minimum force.
After a touch the player performs a “roll-ball” - similar to the play-the-ball in league - stepping over or rolling the ball between the feet.
At the roll-ball, the defenders have to retreat a minimum of five metres.
A touchdown is scored when an attacking player places the ball on or over the score-line.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 258hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,550-4,000rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.1L/100km
Price: from Dh362,500
On sale: now
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Tips for taking the metro
- set out well ahead of time
- make sure you have at least Dh15 on you Nol card, as there could be big queues for top-up machines
- enter the right cabin. The train may be too busy to move between carriages once you're on
- don't carry too much luggage and tuck it under a seat to make room for fellow passengers
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
THE SPECS
Engine: 4.4-litre V8
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 523hp
Torque: 750Nm
Price: Dh469,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
8 UAE companies helping families reduce their carbon footprint
Greenheart Organic Farms
This Dubai company was one of the country’s first organic farms, set up in 2012, and it now delivers a wide array of fruits and vegetables grown regionally or in the UAE, as well as other grocery items, to both Dubai and Abu Dhabi doorsteps.
www.greenheartuae.com
Modibodi
Founded in Australia, Modibodi is now in the UAE with waste-free, reusable underwear that eliminates the litter created by a woman’s monthly cycle, which adds up to approximately 136kgs of sanitary waste over a lifetime.
www.modibodi.ae
The Good Karma Co
From brushes made of plant fibres to eco-friendly storage solutions, this company has planet-friendly alternatives to almost everything we need, including tin foil and toothbrushes.
www.instagram.com/thegoodkarmaco
Re:told
One Dubai boutique, Re:told, is taking second-hand garments and selling them on at a fraction of the price, helping to cut back on the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of clothes thrown into landfills each year.
www.shopretold.com
Lush
Lush provides products such as shampoo and conditioner as package-free bars with reusable tins to store.
www.mena.lush.com
Bubble Bro
Offering filtered, still and sparkling water on tap, Bubble Bro is attempting to ensure we don’t produce plastic or glass waste. Founded in 2017 by Adel Abu-Aysha, the company is on track to exceeding its target of saving one million bottles by the end of the year.
www.bubble-bro.com
Coethical
This company offers refillable, eco-friendly home cleaning and hygiene products that are all biodegradable, free of chemicals and certifiably not tested on animals.
www.instagram.com/coethical
Eggs & Soldiers
This bricks-and-mortar shop and e-store, founded by a Dubai mum-of-four, is the place to go for all manner of family products – from reusable cloth diapers to organic skincare and sustainable toys.
www.eggsnsoldiers.com
New Zealand 21 British & Irish Lions 24
New Zealand
Penalties: Barrett (7)
British & Irish Lions
Tries: Faletau, Murray
Penalties: Farrell (4)
Conversions: Farrell
HOW TO WATCH
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