"I think it’s gonna be fun" - Swiatek reveals excitement ahead of upcoming US Open mixed doubles event

Iga Swiatek will compete among some of the very best tennis players in the all-new mixed doubles event at the US Open. The new format has opened the door for the likes of Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Jack Draper, Aryna Sabalanka, Jessica Pegula and more.

The event will now be played in the US Open fan's week, a few days before the main draw officially gets underway. Supporters will have another golden opportunity to watch some of the best tennis players in the world team up with fellow talents to play for $1 million in prize money.

A unique twist has been implemented on the scoring system, contrasting a normal doubles tie. It will still be best of three, but now only four games to win the set with no advantages, with a tiebreak up to 10 in place for the third and deciding set. The final will remain the same, but with the first two sets being extended to the familiar six games.

The format has come under scrutiny by many fans and players, including last year's mixed doubles champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, who shared their raw emotions on social media when it was announced. Despite this, it still promises to be a highlight of the tennis year, with the stars of tennis prepared to dazzle and amaze the spectators of Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong.

The Polish number one needs no explanation in singles format. A six-time Grand Slam champion at the tender age of 24 puts her in the record books as one of the greatest women to pick up a tennis racquet. She claimed her first back in 2020 at Roland Garros, before reclaiming that in title in 2022, ahead of clinching her first and only US Open win to date.

Two consecutive Roland Garros triumphs followed before she took centre stage at Wimbledon, cooking up a winning recipe to claim her first grass Grand Slam. She got her hard-court season off to a disappointing start as her nine-game winning streak was abruptly ended in Montreal by Clara Tauson. Recently off to a winning start in Cincinnati, Swiatek will be hoping to carry on her positive momentum heading into the US Open as she looks for both the singles and mixed doubles titles.

She has paired up with three-time Grand Slam runner-up Casper Ruud, who has sent her positive and congratulatory messages over social media, showing off the chemistry the pair share as they are ready to team up in Flushing Meadows.

When asked how she feels about the fans excitement rising ahead of the competition, Swiatek said: “No, I think that’s the best thing about it, and that’s why I think it’s gonna be fun. I’m not playing mixed doubles often, so I just hope I’m gonna know what’s going on on the court, but at the United Cup, when the singles players are playing mixed doubles, it’s always a great thing for the fans as well.

“And so now, when also the doubles players are going to be there, there’s going to be some differences in terms of the tactical and feeling what’s going on on the court. So I think it’s going to be interesting, but I think singles players should just kind of play a singles game, but not overthink it too much. It’s going to be tricky.”

Swiatek has had some glimpsing moments as a doubles player in her past. Now solely focused on singles, it is rare that you see the Pole partnered up with someone else on her side of the court.

Back in 2020, she partnered with Lukasz Kubot in the Australian Open mixed doubles, before the pair competed together at the Olympics. They would reach the quarter-finals before being subdued.

However, she has enjoyed past success in women's doubles. Paired with nine-time Grand Slam champion Bethanie Mattek-Sands, they reached the 2021 Roland Garros final before being overpowered by Czech pair Barbora Krejcíkova and Katerina Siniakova in straight sets. She reached a career-high doubles ranking of 27th in the world in 2022. Her last doubles match came at the start of the year in the United Cup, where she teamed up with Hubert Hurkacz to defeat Norway in their group stage matchup.