Venus Williams part of star-filled U.S. Open mixed-doubles event
The United States Tennis Association announced Tuesday the eight teams receiving direct entries into the tournament, as well as six wild-card entrants. Two more teams will take part as wild cards.
Venus Williams, 45, received a wild-card entry and will play with big-serving American Reilly Opelka. The former World No. 1 in singles, Williams is an accomplished doubles player on the biggest stages. She won two Grand Slam mixed-doubles titles in 1998, as well as three Olympic gold medals and 14 Grand Slam women's doubles events with her younger sister, Serena.
Venus played on the WTA Tour last week for the first time since March 2024 at the Mubadala Citi DC Open. After becoming the oldest player to win a WTA Tour singles match in 21 years, she lost in the second round in Washington to Magdalena Frech of Poland.
The mixed-doubles competition in New York will feature most of the men and women ranked in the Top 10. The 16 mixed-double pairs will be vying for a $1 million first prize.
These top players will not be fitting mixed doubles in with their singles play. Mixed-doubles matches will take place over two days, Aug. 19 and 20, before play in the main draw begins.
Receiving direct entries were the following teams:
No. 11 Emma Navarro and No. 1 Jannik Sinner; Belinda Bencic and No. 3 Alexander Zverev; No. 12 Elena Rybakina and No. 4 Taylor Fritz; No. 10 Paula Badosa and No. 5 Jack Draper; No. 7 Amanda Anisimova and No. 9 Holger Rune; No. 3 Iga Swiatek and No. 13 Casper Ruud; No. 4 Jessica Pegula and No. 15 Tommy Paul; and No. 5 Mirra Andreeva and No. 14 Daniil Medvedev.
The other wild-card entrants are Emma Raducanu and No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz; Olga Danilovic and No. 6 Novak Djokovic; Taylor Townsend and No. 7 Ben Shelton; No. 8 Madison Keys and No. 12 Frances Tiafoe; and the reigning U.S. Open mixed-doubles champions, Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori. —Reuters/Field Level Media
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