Aryna Sabalenka, Novak Djokovic headline US Open mixed doubles field
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Aryna Sabalenka (left) and Novak Djokovic will headline the initial entry list for the US Open mixed doubles championship in 2026, organisers say.
PHOTOS: AFP
PARIS – World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic will headline the initial entry list for the US Open mixed doubles championship in 2026, organisers said on July 27, as the revamped event returns for a second edition.
Six-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud, world No. 2 Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz, Naomi Osaka and Kei Nishikori, Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper, and defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori are among the high-profile pairings entered into the competition.
However, both men’s world No. 1 Jannik Sinner and second-ranked Carlos Alcaraz have not entered the competition, which was heavily revamped in 2025.
Djokovic, 39, and 28-year-old Sabalenka are certain to feature among the initial six pairings selected according to world rankings when the deadline for entries closes on Aug 17.
“Any time you can bring women and men together on the same team, you showcase tennis at its best,” said US Tennis Association chief executive Craig Tiley.
“This is exactly what the mixed doubles championship does. We are proud to again bring the world’s top players together in a format that will provide exciting entertainment for our fans.”
The mixed doubles championship will again be held during the week before the singles main draw, from Aug 24 to 26, after organisers overhauled the format in 2025 to attract more top singles players by reducing the field and offering a standalone place on the calendar.
The top six teams by combined singles ranking will qualify directly for the 16-team main draw.
Eight teams will receive wild cards, while the remaining two places will be decided through an eight-team qualifying draw introduced in 2026.
The reimagined format proved a commercial success on its debut in 2025, drawing sell-out crowds and attracting many of the sport’s top singles players despite criticism from some doubles specialists who said it sidelined established doubles teams.
Doubles specialists Errani and Vavassori went on to retain the title by defeating Swiatek and Ruud in the final.
Wimbledon champion Sinner – who did not enter the mixed doubles in 2025 – is “prioritising” his health ahead of the final Grand Slam of the year and is also bypassing the Canadian Open, which runs from Aug 2 to 13.
Alcaraz, who played in the mixed doubles in 2025 with Emma Raducanu, is recovering from a wrist injury that had ruled him out of both the French Open and Wimbledon. REUTERS, AFP
