Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori blasted the US Open organizers, accusing them of “putting money above tennis” and making the mixed doubles event “a pseudo-exhibition.”
After it was rumored that the last Grand Slam of the year was eyeing to make changes to their mixed doubles event, that was confirmed this week and it appears to be done with the hopes of luring top singles players to compete.
This year, the US Open mixed doubles event will start during the singles qualifying week – on August 19th – and will feature only 16 teams, with eight making the tournament directly while the remaining eight through a wildcard.
Also, matches will be played in a best-of-three-set format – sets will be played to four games – with a deciding point at deuce and tie-breaks at 4-4 – and if a match goes into a decider, a match tie-break to 10 points would be played.
Following the changes, Errani and Vavassori – who won the 2024 US Open mixed doubles title – wouldn’t make the tournament directly and would need a wildcard.
“Values very much underestimated in our times. In our opinion making decisions just following the logic of profit is profoundly wrong in some situations,” they started in their message posted on Instagram.
Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori© Sara Errani/Instagram – Fair Use
Errani, Vavassori: Disrespectful… The mixed tournament is being replaced with ‘a pseudo-exhibition’
“In the last few weeks we received the news that the US Open mixed doubles tournament will be completely turned upside down, canceled and replaced with a pseudo-exhibition focused only on entertainment and show,” the statement read.
“It will be played during the qualification tournament, with 8 pairs of players determined by the highest single ranking and 8 pairs of players invited by the tournament with a wildcard.
“A decision made without consulting anyone, which we can do nothing but accept it.
“We see it as a profound injustice, that disrespects an entire category of players. [Putting] money above tennis is never a good idea.”
When Errani and Vavassori won the US Open mixed doubles title last year, they were only competing in their third tournament together.
Tennis World USA