US Open mixed doubles starts in New York on 24 August
Qualifying for the US Open 2026 Mixed Doubles Championship begins at 16:00 BST on Monday 24 August at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York. The main draw follows on 25 and 26 August, giving tennis fans three days of competition featuring leading singles and doubles players. Admission prices and on-site booking details have not been specified; UK viewers can watch through Sky Sports and NOW TV.
The confirmed line-up places Aryna Sabalenka alongside Novak Djokovic, while Elena Rybakina will partner Taylor Fritz. Three British doubles specialists — Henry Patten, Neal Skupski and Lloyd Glasspool — are among the players entering through qualifying.
Three British pairings begin in qualifying
ATP doubles world No.1 Henry Patten will play with WTA doubles world No.1 Katerina Siniakova. Neal Skupski has joined Brazil’s Luisa Stefani, while former Wimbledon champion Lloyd Glasspool will compete alongside Erin Routliffe of New Zealand.
The other confirmed qualifying teams are Gabriela Dabrowski and Harri Heliovaara, Aleksandra Krunic and Mate Pavic, and Jelena Ostapenko and Marcelo Arevalo. Two further qualifying wild-card teams remain to be announced.
Jack Draper, Katie Boulter and Julian Cash had signed up for the tournament, but their places had not been confirmed when the LTA published the line-up. That distinction matters because the field is close to complete rather than final.
Sabalenka and Djokovic lead the main draw
Sabalenka and Djokovic are among six partnerships awarded direct entry. They are joined by Rybakina and Fritz, Diana Shnaider and Daniil Medvedev, Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud, Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli, and the all-American pairing of Amanda Anisimova and Learner Tien.
Confirmed main-draw wild cards include Alexandra Eala and Felix Auger-Aliassime, Leylah Fernandez and Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Townsend and Alexander Zverev, Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils, and defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori. Three more main-draw wild-card partnerships are still due to be named.
Errani and Vavassori won the 2025 title by defeating Swiatek and Ruud 6-3, 5-7, 10-6 in the final. Their return creates an immediate link between the defending champions and last year’s runners-up.
The three-day schedule in BST
The published timetable gives UK viewers a clear afternoon starting point on each day:
| Date and round | Start time |
|---|---|
| Monday 24 August — qualifying | 16:00 BST |
| Tuesday 25 August — first round and quarter-finals | 13:00 BST |
| Wednesday 26 August — semi-finals and final | 12:00 BST |
All matches will be staged at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, Queens, New York. The supplied event information does not include ticket prices, an on-site booking route, transport guidance or accessibility arrangements.
Short sets put pressure on every game
Matches before the final use a best-of-three-set format with shortened sets played to four games. Deuce is replaced by no-ad scoring, so the next point decides the game. If a set reaches 4-4, the teams play a 10-point tie-break, which must be won by at least two points.
The final changes to full six-game sets but retains no-ad scoring. If the finalists split the opening two sets, a 10-point match tie-break replaces a conventional deciding set.
The 2026 prize money has not yet been announced. In 2025, the mixed doubles champions received $1 million per team as the tournament’s total prize pool reached $90 million. The remaining three main-draw wild cards, two qualifying wild cards and the official 2026 prize figures are the next details still to be confirmed.
Source: LTA Tennis News
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The dates, BST start times, confirmed partnerships, competition format and UK viewing options were checked against LTA Tennis News.
- Matched qualifying and main-draw dates to the published schedule.
- Retained only partnerships identified as confirmed entries or wild cards.
- Separated confirmed players from places still awaiting announcement.
- Marked ticket prices and 2026 prize money as unspecified.
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- LTA Tennis News
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- New York
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- 2026-08-18 10:49
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