"Making it look like an exhibition" - Kristina Mladenovic criticizes new changes to mixed doubles format at US Open
WTAWednesday, 05 February 2025 at 02:30
After the US Open tournament organizers announced substantial changes to their 2025 event, French player Kristina Mladenovic took to social media to vent her frustrations regarding the new format.
One of the most controversial changes is centered around the mixed doubles event, with the number of teams reduced from 32 to 16. Additionally, the first round of the tournament will take place over three days, beginning on Sunday. The previous editions saw the first round occurring over two days.
Mladenovic lashes out at organizers
The French veteran is a renown doubles expert, having held the No.1 ranking in 2019. Additionally, Mladenovic has nine Grand Slam doubles titles to her name, with three of them coming in the mixed doubles event.
Although the organizers believe the addition of an extra day will draw more fans to the event and increase recovery time, tennis fans are against the idea as several were not pleased with how the doubles spots are allocated. Mladenovic took to social media to chime in on the matter, stating the new format was simply an excuse for the US Open organizers to draw more money.
"Terribly shocking news!" wrote Mladenovic in Twitter. "Doing that just to sell more money during first week of the event. Making it look like an exhibition for whoever wants to play!
"What about players playing singles Q that want/could with their doubles ranking play mixed?"
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mandoist04-02-2025 - It sounds seriously absurd that in Davis Cup, (unlike Grand Slams such as the Aus Open), medical time outs off court with the medical staff are not allowed?? I mean, if this was an Aus Open match, and the same thing happened to Gurin then, he would have been able to go off court for official medical time out and make an informed decision whether to resume the match or retire. How come such conditions do not apply in Davis Cup?? I mean, there with Davis Cup, it is even more like a soccer match or basketball game in that teams are playing. And so as with those, it ought to be the case in tennis that if a player needs serious medical time out, then one of the other team mates ought to substitute and each team needs to have stand-ins or understudies in case substitution is needed which will be rare but as we can see here, this kind of circumstance fits. But even if the teams do not go down the road of subbing other team mates in, in case of a health issue like the one which played out here, at least, as in the Aus Open and other Grand Slams, there ought to be time-outs with the health professionals and at the conclusion of these time-outs, the particular decision that has been reached between them and the player needs to be taken on board by the umpire. PERIOD.
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- Well said.mandoist03-02-2025
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