Nonetheless, Badosa and Tsitsipas are the latest big names to confirm interest in participating in the competition since the USTA announced earlier this month that the competition would officially take place alongside qualifying during its annual Fan Week—rather than during the tournament’s second week—that sets will be played to four games instead of the traditional six, and that the field will consist of 16 teams with eight wild cards. Taylor Fritz and Jessica Pegula, both quoted in the USTA’s press release announcing the changes, have expressed interest, as have fiancées Katie Boulter and Alex de Minaur, as well as world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
Read more: Reigning champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori slam US Open mixed doubles changes
“I’d like to play. I believe it’s like two-days’ event. I always enjoy playing doubles. It’s like little fun sort of exhibition,” Sabalenka said last week in Dubai. “It always gives me good energy and always helps me to play well in the tournaments. I might. I think it’s going to be fun to play.”
However, Coco Gauff will not be competing. While conceding in Doha that the innovations were “interesting,” the 2023 US Open winner said that the positioning of the event will “take away” from her main-draw preparations.
“It’s one of those things that I feel like I have to wait and see how it pans out over time, pans out after it happens and see how it can affect the sport in the whole,” she said.
