The last major of the year will be a hypnotic New York fortnight, staged August 24–September 7, in the world’s showplace for glitz, glamour and everything in between. Being ostentatious is part of its nature and it has lived up to expectations by sandwiching the August 19th and 20th “Mixed Smarmy” into Fan Week, August 18–23.
Rather than having noted chefs craft the “Two Day” Mixed Doubles affair, US Open chiefs have put on their aprons and toque blanches and developed an epicurean experience fittingly presented by Vital Proteins. Using a new recipe featuring gourmet quality names that make up the eight pairings, based on combined singles ranking and mixing them with eight wild card ingredients… leads to a 16 selections repast… becoming the first Grand Slam “Prix fixe Mixed Doubles”.
When the concept turned the historic Grand Slam event into a newly imagined “We Need Change” activity, the new format’s dating app appeal to participants – supported by a publicity blitz surrounding potential entrants – resulted in a promising reaction. Further attention was gained by the cash register-ringing $1 million dollar prize money that is being offered…
As of August 15, the entrées are:
Based On Combined Singles Ranking…
- Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper
- Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud
- Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz
- Amanda Anisimova and Holger Rune
- Belinda Bencic and Alexander Zverev
- Mirra Andreeva and Daniil Medvedev
- Jasmine Paolini and Lorenzo Musetti
- One team still to be announced
Wild Card Selections…
- Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe
- Olga Danilovic and Novak Djokovic
- Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz
- Taylor Townsend and Ben Shelton
- Venus Williams and Reilly Opelka
- Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori
- Two teams still to be announced
It is important to remember that the US Mixed Doubles is the oldest of the Grand Slam Mixed Doubles played, having begun as an unofficial event in 1887 before becoming a championship event in 1892. When it was launched, the East Coast’s meal of the day was substantial. Now, 138 years later the event is looking to provide a Michelin quality experience, and while the dishes have been named, they have not been seen or tasted. As a result, a reservation “waitlist” does not exist and gastronomic intuition is not needed to understand why most of the 26 “names” do not have mixed doubles bona fides.
Before the “Taste Off”, an analysis revealed that many of the contestants have never played a Grand Slam mixed event. Of those that have, Pegula has been a four-time participant. Both Benic and Keys have appeared once – who can forget New York in 2022, when Keys delightfully teamed with then boyfriend/coach, now husband, Bjorn Frantangelo. Not be ignored, Vavassori and Errani, the defending US Open titlists, took home the Roland-Garros trophy in June, and in 1998 Williams teamed with Justin Gimelstob to win the Australian Open and Roland-Garros Mixed Doubles.
If numbers tell a story… these are “It’s An Exo…” qualifying.
Doubles is a richly flavored cuisine, Mixed Doubles escapes these boundaries because it is even more flavorful, which has long been the case when it was served by skilled performers. Margaret Court is the competition’s Martha Stewart, having amassed a tournament record eight Mixed Doubles titles, including three in the Open Era. Though Owen Davidson, another Aussie, is not Chef José Andrés, he was a four-time winner. Unfortunately, nothing is known about Court’s dining delights… and the same holds for “Davo” Davidson, though the affable “first rate mate” enjoyed hoisting “the amber fluid” and swapping post-match stories with pals.
As many readers are aware “Shawarama”, perhaps better known as “sharmy”, a tantalizing sliced meat kebab, was created in the Middle East ages ago and now enjoys worldwide appeal.
Will the 2025 US Open’s Mixed Doubles be similarly appreciated? Will the revised recipe live up to the tournament’s “A Spectacular Awaits” exaltations, or will the fare earn a “C”, based on the New York City restaurant rating scale (where 28 points or more indicates lesser quality dining)…?
Only time will tell if the experience was Michelin delectable or if it’s “better try something else… Smarmy…”