Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic team up headlines US Open Mixed Doubles Field

XtraTime Newsdesk: Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka and 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic lead the original field of 16 pairs for the U.S. Open mixed doubles tournament. Last year, the event was revamped, with a $1 million reward for the winners, in an effort to attract elite singles players. Many of these sorts of talents were among the teams announced by the USTA on Monday.

Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud, who finished second in 2025, are back, as with Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz, Naomi Osaka and Kei Nishikori from Japan, and Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper.

The main draw will be contested over two days on August 25-26, with all matches taking place at Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium, the U.S. Open's two largest venues, and broadcast live on ESPN sites.

Teams can enter until August 17, at which point the six duos having the best combined singles rankings will be automatically placed into the main event. That means Sabalenka, the two-time defending U.S. Open women's champion, and Djokovic, who is currently rated No. 5 on the men's tour at the age of 39, will be safe in the field.

The USTA will award wild cards to eight teams, while two additional teams will compete in a qualification event on August 24.

The format will feature best-of-three-set matches with sets to four games, tiebreakers at four apiece, and a 10-point match tiebreak instead of a third set through the semifinals. The final will be conventional scoring with sets to six games and a tiebreaker at 6-all, plus a 10-point match tiebreaker if necessary.