The new mixed doubles format used at this year’s US Open has certainly divided opinion, and now former World No. 1 Andy Roddick has weighed in on the matter.
Italian duo Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori successfully defended their crown at Flushing Meadows, upholding the prestige of the doubles game as the only specialists to take part in this year’s tournament.
The rest of the draw was made up by star names in the singles joining forces.
While it led to some exciting partnerships, the revamped format of the mixed doubles drew criticism from Joe Salisbury, one of Britain’s doubles specialists.
Jack Draper also called it an ‘exhibition’ on his way to making the semi-finals with American No. 4 seed Jessica Pegula.
Now, former men’s US Open winner Andy Roddick has cast his opinion.
Andy Roddick brands the US Open mixed doubles ‘an overwhelming success’
Speaking on a livestream of his Served Media podcast, Roddick went against the grain of the public criticism, being adamant that the new format has been a success.
The American explained: “You can have your opinions. Maybe it’s too much, [but] I bet you watched it. And I bet you enjoyed it.
“We’re not getting into the arguments on, ‘listen, we have to respect the way the game has always been’. I totally get that argument.”
It was here Roddick provided a counter, arguing: “How do we melt that with the success we saw over the last two days, where people got to come and see the best players in the world for free, on Louis Armstrong [Stadium] the first day, and then packed Arthur Ashe Stadium last night.
“It’s not easy to make a decision that changes everything we know. I give credit [to the US Open] for taking a swing, and I thought the mixed doubles was an overwhelming success.
The 42-year-old concluded: “A lot of the time the biggest ideas aren’t the easiest ideas, so props to the US Open.”
Andy Roddick suggests one good and one wild change to US Open mixed doubles format
While branding the new format a success, Roddick still believes it can be improved upon.
As interesting as it was to see new and unique partnerships like Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu, it was unfair not to include most of the best doubles specialists, particularly those who, alongside Errani and Vavassori, have won Grand Slam titles in the mixed doubles over the last year.
To this end, Roddick suggested that “the previous four major winners [should] get automatic entry into the draw,” having earned their place with previous successes.
After suggesting this change, however, the former Wimbledon runner-up then proposed a far more radical one, floating the idea that entry into the competition could be open to anyone.
Roddick said: “Or, what if the public could sign up and there was a year-long play-off where I could enter with Kim Clijsters even though we don’t play anymore?”
He expanded: What if it’s a true open? What if this is the vehicle to where you might be in Branson, Missouri, and it’s like, okay, there’s eight other teams here, there’s a regional qualifier, and you just get to at least try to participate.
“And maybe you end here [at the US Open]. That’s the hope, that’s the dream.”
While Roddick’s first idea of allowing previous mixed doubles Grand Slam winners to compete is a good one, his second might take a bit longer to catch on.