Main-draw action in the U.S. Open mixed doubles tournament gets underway on Tuesday afternoon at Flushing Meadows, with the semifinals and final to follow on Wednesday night.
From round one through the semis, matches will be best-of-three sets with short sets to four games with no-ad scoring, tiebreakers at 4-4, and a 10-point super-tiebreaker for the third. The final will be best-of-three sets with no-ad scoring, tiebreakers at 6-6, and a 10-point super-tiebreaker for the third.
Here are some of my picks for the first round.
(1) Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic vs. Leylah Fernandez and Frances Tiafoe
Sabalenka and Djokovic may not play much doubles, but these are two of the best all-around tennis players in the world we are talking about. Aside from his overhead, Djokovic is extremely capable at net. Those skills with Sabalenka’s overwhelming power on serve and from the baseline should make for a formidable combination. Djokovic lost right away with Olga Danilovic in 2025, but a massive upgrade in partner should turn his fortunes around. Tiafoe was less than 100 percent physically in Sunday’s Cincinnati final against Arthur Fils, so it’s hard to see him putting in a max effort following just one day of rest.
Pick: Sabalenka and Djokovic in 2
(Q) Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool vs. Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz
Being matched with a qualifier is rarely the worst thing in the world in traditional singles tournaments. In the mixed doubles draw at the U.S. Open, however, it’s a nightmare. That’s because the qualifying field consisted entirely of doubles specialists, and — as we saw last year with the title won by Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori — doubles specialists are…imagine this…better at doubles than singles players! Routliffe and Glasspool are playing with confidence, too, following a pair of qualies wins on Monday. Both Serena and Alcaraz are rusty — and that’s an understatement. They would do well simply to make this match competitive.
Pick: Routliffe and Glasspool in 2
Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils vs. Alexandra Eala and Felix Auger-Aliassime
Monfils’ doubles skills are…in a couple of words…not good. The Frenchman played with Naomi Osaka last year and lost in the first round to Caty McNally and Lorenzo Musetti in easy straight sets (McNally and Musetti promptly got blown out by Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud in the quarterfinals). Svitolina sustained an ankle injury in Toronto and withdrew from Cincinnati prior to her third-round match. Eala and Auger-Aliassime are not exactly doubles stalwarts, but they are good enough to capitalize on a very favorable first-round draw.
Pick: Eala and Auger-Aliassime in 2
Tiafoe and Fernandez OUT
Djoker/Saba now playing against Siniakova/Patten
Rats….no Tiafoe and Fdez….have to bet on Joker & Sabalenka!