Newly married tennis stars Katie Boulter and Alex de Minaur have entered the mixed doubles field for the upcoming US Open, approximately one month after their wedding in Tuscany. The couple, who previously competed together in the mixed doubles at Wimbledon three years ago, will aim to play their first tournament as husband and wife.
The US Open revamped its mixed doubles tournament last year, seeking to attract a new audience by encouraging prominent singles players to partner up. Despite entering last year, Boulter and De Minaur narrowly missed a spot in the competition due to a crowded field.
This year's event will feature direct entries based on combined singles rankings, alongside wildcard selections. Six teams will qualify based on ranking, with six additional wildcard pairs receiving direct entry. Two further teams will advance from a qualifying round, which will also distribute two wildcards.
Notable pairings already confirmed include World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka with Novak Djokovic, Elena Rybakina with American No. 1 Taylor Fritz, and Iga Swiatek with Casper Ruud. The married duo Elena-Gabriela Ruse and Nuno Borges, as well as Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils, are also among the entered pairs. Last year's semifinalists Jack Draper and Jessica Pegula are reuniting for the event, though Draper awaits a wildcard for the main draw.
Other new partnerships announced include Anna Kalinskaya and Lorenzo Musetti, Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik, and Venus Williams with Alexander Bublik. The entry window remains open until August 17, with several prominent players, including Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, yet to announce partners. Emma Raducanu will not participate as she continues to recover from a stress fracture.
The mixed doubles tournament, offering a $1 million prize, features a condensed format. Matches before the semifinals will be best-of-three sets played to four games, with no-advantage scoring and a 10-point tiebreak instead of a third set. Matches from the semifinals onward will be played to six games.