US Open set to be held over THREE weeks in groundbreaking Grand Slam move – with $1million prize on offer

THE US Open mixed doubles volition instrumentality spot the week BEFORE the singles tourney starts astatine Flushing Meadows – and transportation a $1million (£804,000) cheque.

In a "groundbreaking innovation", the lawsuit volition beryllium staged during the instrumentality week successful the New York borough of Queen’s.

Mixed doubles volition nary longer beryllium staged during the main gully of the singles play.

It means the Grand Slam will beryllium fundamentally dispersed implicit 3 weeks – antithetic from the different 3 majors.

And successful an effort “to elevate focus” connected mixed doubles, the prize cookware has been bumped up for the winning team.

Britain’s Jamie Murray is three-time victor of the US Open mixed doubles title.

While Joe Salisbury won it with American spouse Desirae Krawczyk successful 2021.

American satellite No.5 Jessica Pegula said: "As a subordinate who enjoys competing successful doubles, I’m excited for the accidental to play the US Open mixed doubles title during the archetypal week.

"I admit the value of innovation and exploring caller ways to prosecute much fans and turn our sport."

Californian Taylor Fritz, the satellite No.4, added: "Mixed doubles is ever a large challenge, and I’ve had immoderate astonishing experiences with it implicit the years.

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"From the Olympics to the United Cup, and adjacent the US Open Mixed Madness past year.

"I’m decidedly looking guardant to the accidental to vie for a Grand Slam rubric successful the future."

The new-look format volition besides look a small antithetic connected the court.

This year's mixed doubles contention runs from August 19 to August 20, with 16 teams acceptable to play.

Early circular matches volition beryllium best-of-three sets played to conscionable 4 games, with a deciding constituent played astatine deuce.

Only the last volition diagnostic a accepted best-of-three sets played to six games, arsenic is usually the lawsuit successful a Grand Slam.

Lew Sherr, CEO of the US Tennis Association, said: "The crushed down this is to entreaty to much fans and turn the instrumentality basal astir the world.

"But the mode to bash that is to person the biggest names successful the athletics participating successful doubles, and to showcase them teaming up and playing successful a antithetic format, we deliberation is exciting.

"In fact, we cognize it's exciting."

"By giving the contention its ain spotlight we’re elevating mixed doubles to enactment an adjacent greater absorption connected the unthinkable endowment we person crossed the sport.

"We’re moving intimately with apical players, galore of whom are anxious to beryllium portion of this historical change."