Australian Open resists US Open move as champions fume over 'injustice

Aussie duo Olivia Gadecki and John Peers won this year's Australian Open mixed doubles title

The Australian Open has ruled out copying the US Open with a controversial overhaul of the mixed doubles event. Earlier this week, the US Open announced its mixed doubles event was getting a huge revamp, taking place during qualifying week with teams determined by singles rankings and wildcards. It sparked a massive backlash from doubles players, including defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, who called the move an “injustice”.

The US Open’s revamped mixed doubles competition will take place over two days the week before the singles competition gets underway. The draw size has been cut from 32 to 16 teams and doubles rankings are no longer used for entry. Until the final, a fast-4 scoring format will also be used, and all decisive third sets will be a first-to-10-point tiebreak. The prize money will also be boosted from £158k ($200k) to £792k ($1m) Doubles players have already condemned the new format and are hoping it won’t be replicated at the other Grand Slam tournaments. The Australian Open has now answered their wishes, as organisers Tennis Australia confirmed they had no plans to follow suit.

US Open winners Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori slammed the new mixed doubles format

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“Mixed doubles is a fantastic showcase for tennis, and one of the only opportunities in world sport where men and women can compete alongside and against each other,” the body said in a statement. “Our whole summer of tennis - culminating with the Australian Open - is about creating more job opportunities for the players, providing more competition on the biggest stage and more prize money. “We are always exploring new ways to elevate the sport, and while promoting men's, women's and mixed doubles is a key priority for AO 26, we have no plans to change the current format of the mixed doubles championship at the AO.” It comes after Errani and Vavassori, the reigning mixed doubles champions at the US Open, slammed bosses for changing the tournament.

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