“They’re afraid of change”: Taylor Townsend claps back at critics of US Open mixed doubles new format

America’s Taylor Townsend has come out in defence of the new US Open mixed doubles event. For the first time ever, the fourth Grand Slam of the year will be played in two separate phases. The first phase will feature a mixed doubles event which will be played a few days before the start of the main draw.

The mixed doubles competition will be a standalone event, with a prize money of $1 million up for grabs for the participants. It is for this reason that some of the biggest names in tennis are set to take part in the competition, who would otherwise not have played in the mixed doubles event.

Ever since it was announced that changes would be made to the US Open mixed doubles event from the 2025 edition, some current players and a section of the tennis community have criticised the decision, claiming that it would make it harder for players to feature in such events who are specialised in playing in the mixed doubles category.

American tennis player Townsend has been recently quoted in a Tennis.com report, where she hit back at critics, stating that people criticising such a decision are ‘afraid’ of change. “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,” said Townsend.

Townsend, who is a two-time Grand Slam winner in the doubles category and is a two-time Grand Slam finalist in the mixed doubles category, is taking part in the competition and will be partnering fellow American player Ben Shelton. Talking about her expectation from the upcoming competition, Townsend stated that she is ‘excited’ to feature in the tournament and also asked fans and fellow tennis players to look at the event with an ‘open mind’ before judging the overall outcome.

“I’m very excited to play,” said Townsend. “I’m super stoked to be able to be on the same side of the court with Ben again. We had so much fun in 2023. I’m excited about the field. I think that it’s one of those things where we’re going to have to see. Everyone has to keep an open mind and not judge it or go into looking from the lens of tradition or what things have been. This is nothing like anything that’s been done in the sport before. The only thing I would say is encourage everyone—players, spectators, media—to look at it from an open mind and see how it goes. Everyone is going to have an opinion, but I’m excited to play and I’m excited to see how things go. The field is amazing, the players are spectacular, and I think it’s really cool to be able to do this during Fan Week and qualies week. You’re bringing an influx of fans, people, celebrities, all of these different energies to the tournament. Sometimes, that doesn’t happen until that middle weekend when people have time off. Now, this is happening the week before school starts, so I’m excited. There’s so many things around it too, like Ashe Kid’s Day, and all the kid’s events and clinics, as well. I’m really excited for the viewership and the exposure to the game in this way.”

On the other hand, Townsend partner Shelton has recently spoken to the media before participating in the ongoing DC Open, where he praised his partner for the upcoming US Open mixed doubles event. Shelton called Townsend ‘the best mixed doubles player’ in the world and stated that he would not have played with anyone else but her. “She's the best mixed doubles player in the world, hands down,” said Shelton. “So if I was going to play, I wasn't going to play at all unless I could play with her.”