US Open chiefs have announced plans to boost their mixed doubles event, in the hope they will attract some of the top singles players to take part.

Andy Murray’s partnership with Serena Williams at Wimbledon in 2019 was a headline-grabbing moment and there was also a boost for the doubles game as Nick Kyrgios teamed up with Novak Djokovic for an exciting doubles partnership on the ATP Tour last month.

Rafael Nadal’s doubles pairing with Carlos Alcaraz was one of the hottest tickets at last year’s Paris Olympic Games, but singles players have generally been reluctant to sign up for doubles events in Grand Slams.

Now USTA chiefs have embraced calls to boost the doubles game after they unveiled a revamped format that will feature a changed scoring system and prioritise singles players competing in teams, rather than established mixed doubles players.

Doubles players may not welcome this move as the extra revenue they can claim from mixed doubles boosts income that is always considerably less than top singles players.

Yet it could throw up the prospect of Carlos Alcaraz playing with Paula Badosa at the US Open or maybe Nova Djokovic teaming up with Aryna Sabalenka.

The plan sees the Mixed Doubles moved to the week before the main singles and doubles draw at the US Open, allowing players to use the event as a warm-up for the bigger challenge, with a $1million purse up for grabs for the winning team.

It is a bold move by the USTA and sees them turn the first week of their three-week tournament into a more competitive event.

“With the shift also comes more opportunities for fans everywhere to enjoy watching their favourite stars compete for another Grand Slam title,” read a US Open statement.

“One of the primary reasons the US Open is among the premier sports events in the world is because it features the best athletes, both male and female, competing on an equal stage,” said Lew Sherr, executive director of the United States Tennis Association.

“By giving the competition its own spotlight, we’re elevating mixed doubles to put an even greater focus on the incredible talent we have across the sport. We’re working closely with top players, many of whom are eager to be part of this historic change.”

17-time Grand Slam doubles champion Mark Woodforde spoke to Tennis365 about the challenges facing the doubles game, as he admitted changes need to be implemented to preserve its place in the sport.

“The doubles game needs a bit of rescuing, in my opinion,” Woodforde told Tennis365 in an exclusive interview.

“I had a great partnership with the same player. Once Todd (Woodbridge) and I joined forces, we had almost a decade together, but there are no identifiable teams now. They all chop and change each season and the fans don’t get used to seeing the same doubles teams together.

“Now, there is too much chopping and changing of partners and we don’t get a chance to see a partnership grow together any more, which is a shame.

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“Maybe we can shorten matches in Grand Slams to encourage more singles players to take part in doubles and we need to look at ways to encourage players to compete. Being a tennis player means you compete in all the disciplines out there and that is singles and doubles.

“When we get into the Davis Cup, we see the top singles players stepping up and playing in doubles and we also saw it at the Olympics, with the pairing of Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal creating so much interest.

“What I would say on this topic is that in order to reach the Hall of Fame at the end of your career, you need to do well in the Grand Slams and winning a few in doubles would help that. But we see the draws at a major tournament and there are very few top singles players entering the doubles now. That is a bit of a head-scratcher for me. I don’t think there is one quick fix.”

Club players tend to play doubles during their sessions, but modest crowds at major tennis tournaments suggest the appetite to watch this version of the game at a professional level is limited.

If the USTA succeeds in encouraging more singles players to sign up for mixed doubles at this year’s US Open after their innovative move, the other Grand Slam events may follow their lead.

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