
"This year, the United States Tennis Association opted to transform the format of the mixed doubles event in order to attract the top singles players, a move officials believe was incredibly successful and which featured partnerships such as Emma Raducanu paired with Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Swiatek alongside Casper Ruud. The tournament was held before the men's and women's singles on a sold-out Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium, drawing a total of 78,000 fans."
"I think it would be cool if all the slams did this, said Jack Draper, who reached the semi-finals with Jessica Pegula. Raducanu was similarly effusive. It would be so fun if all the slams got involved and did something similar, even if it was not the exact same format, she said. I think it was a huge success. So many fans got involved, so many people watching and tuned in. It got a lot of attention."
"There is currently no appetite at the All England Club for the format of its mixed doubles tournament to change. The current setup is considered a key part of the Wimbledon fortnight and doubles is generally more appreciated at Wimbledon, with each of the competitions attracting greater crowds during the tournament. However, the success of the mixed event and the US Open's fan week in New York has further illustrated how far Wimbledon has fallen behind the remainder of the grand slam tournaments."
The United States Tennis Association transformed the US Open mixed doubles format to attract top singles players, producing high-profile pairings and sold-out sessions on Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong Stadiums that drew 78,000 fans. The event returned champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori but generated major attention and player enthusiasm, with Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu urging other slams to adopt similar approaches. The All England Club has no appetite to change Wimbledon's mixed doubles format, valuing its existing setup and strong doubles appreciation. The US Open experiment highlighted scheduling and event innovations where Wimbledon may lag behind other grand slams.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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