Reaction To The 2026 US Open Mixed Doubles. Was It A Success?

      Reaction To The 2026 US Open Mixed Doubles. Was It A Success?

 

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Dan (00:00)

Hi guys, a big welcome to Control the Controllables live from New York City. It has just gone midnight here in New York City and the Mixed Doubles Championships is over. It's been short, it's been sweet. We'll all have our own opinions on it. I will share a few of mine. Please do in your comments, you know, tell me yours, you know, send in your questions as well from what you're looking at. 

 

But before that, please do like and subscribe to the channel. Lots of you starting to. It really does help. It helps get it out there. You know, we're trying to bring these live shows to you throughout the events. And also now our podcast, when we are getting into everyone's stories and bringing all these amazing guests to you, they are also being shared on YouTube as well. So you don't want to miss out. So make sure you subscribe and then it pops up, pops up on your email or pops up on your phone to let you know when we go live.

 

As ever, our Grand Slam events, our major events are brought to you by Novellus. Now, I want to actually start, I've been at the event tonight, I didn't stay till the very end. I have been watching some of it on TV as well. I just want to start off by saying, this is not a mixed doubles major championships. Know, they've, Mensik and Muchova have won the event. Well done to them.

 

I think it is a great event. I fair play. I Eric Butorac, the tournament director. This evening I let him know what a great event I felt it had been. I also give a little bit more feedback to him as well. But this is not a major champion. I'm not having that in our sport. That is the starting point. Know, the meritocracy that we live in in the tennis world, you can't just invite people. The invitation means it's an exhibition. Great exhibition, great for our sport.

 

It's not a major championship. So that's the starting point. A more positive note, if you haven't been to a night match at Arthur Ashe Stadium and you get the opportunity to do that in your lifetime, do. It's pretty spectacular and it's a must for everyone, really, is if you get the chance. It's an incredible arena for tennis and live sport. I feel very privileged to have been sat on that court this evening, taking in that atmosphere.

 

And New York City just does that so well, you know, and there's something about under the light that makes it even more special. But that being said, I do think the atmosphere was kind of flat tonight. I saw both semi-final matches. I don't know how it went in the final. It looked like people left as well. So there was a few less people in the final. And I guess I have a couple of little points on that. I know that I am a little bit biased towards doubles naturally because that's what my current world is.

 

However, I was watching thinking, my goodness, if we had the Patten and Siniakova, you know, if we had Dabrowski, Heliövaara, if we had Vavassori and Errani against these predominantly singles players, I don't like saying they're singles players because the players we've seen in the semi-finals tonight, I would say six of them in particular are very established doubles players as well. They're very good. 

 

But that contrast is what I love and I think actually it's a little bit boring when it's just the singles players playing the singles players. I think there is an argument that people give when you've got doubles players playing doubles players, it becomes a little boring as well, especially on the men's side. I know some people disagree with that. But what I love about the mixed doubles is when you have the act of doubles players and the volleys. We saw a couple of points when Muchova and Andreeva were kind of drilling and the wall was built, but we didn't see that many points on that.

 

So that just kind of rings home to me that I do like the contrast. I go back to thinking about, I remember watching Zverev and Siegemund playing mixed doubles against the Aussies back at the United Cup, or maybe it was Hopman Cup back two, three, four years ago.

 

And that contrast was amazing. You see when was causing all sorts of issues with the men, the singles players, the way that she was crossing and moving, you know, the little dinks, you know, bringing in those sort of points. So I like that. That's something that I'm certainly pushing for. I mentioned it to Eric as well this evening. You know, I'd love to see some kind of Ryder Cup type event where you've got the top eight singles, top eight doubles that play.

 

That's one thing I would love to see. Think it brings the contrast in styles, but I also think it brings that little bit of emotion as well. I think what we saw with the predominantly doubles players on this event, they maybe got a little bit tight because they wanted to prove a point, which I'll get on to that point in a minute. I think having that, having that emotive topic linked to it, I think is important.

 

I think the second point that I'd like to make and whether it'll happen on, I don't know, but if all the masters 1000 events had a mixed doubles, you know, there's so much dead time now. You know, there's so much that does happen now at those events in terms of days, days off. saw Montreal, Toronto, there's like four matches, four matches only that were by day eight, that day eight of 13 that are on the schedule.

 

You know, and if you, you created a bit of a doubles ladder, league mixed doubles, where, where players are going to be at, especially the, like, if we take Madrid, people are going to be there before Rome. If we take Indian Wells, they're going to be there before they play in Miami. You know, if you take the events where it's happening, where the Cincinnati before, before us open, you know, Doha before Dubai, you know, you take these, these events and actually people then are playing it and the incentive is to qualify. I think that would be a cool way because that goes into the meritocracy that we're talking about on this as well. You win one of those events, you get automatic entrance in. I think there's definitely something with the mixed doubles that can be special. I think at this point, I guess I have to also mention Serena and Carlos. And I said that to Eric as well, like tip my hat to Eric in the US Open. That was pretty iconic.

 

Lloyd Glasspool is a player I coached for like 20 years. Erin Routliffe, I've been a big part of her team with Gaby Dabrowski for the last two or three years and they asked myself and Gabby to sit in their player box court side and that was really cool. Like off a rash seeing Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz together. That was special. So like the ability to bring these stars, I think it's amazing. You know, and I think those sort of, these sort of events that you know, bring eyeballs to our sport. Fantastic. 

 

I have to shout out to Serena Williams, like her lock in, you you learn when you're that close, you learn a lot from these players. And she was, there's very few players in the world can absolutely lock in for every single point, every single shot. And she just was incredible to see that yesterday in certainly in her first round match. And at times it was quite kind of funny because she was, she was actually like, Carlos can be a little bit away with the fairies. He's a bit in and out at times of his focus and Serena just gave him the look and he was like, like a naughty schoolboy. He was straight back in.

 

So that was really, really cool. So a big, big shout out to that. have, you would have seen on social media, if you are following us on social media, once it got to the semis, I did pick the Czech’s to win in Mensik and Muchova. I felt Monfils and Svitolina were the weakest pair in the semis.

 

I know they've got a connection and but I just think as it just doubles players there may be a little bit the weakest. Cobolli and Bencic won the Indian Wells mixed doubles. Bencic I hardly saw miss a shot all week. She is a really really good mixed doubles player. In women's doubles I think she gets a little bit more exposed whereas actually in the mixed doubles she plays that solid role and then Cobolli is a shot maker.

 

And when you're in like a scoring system that brings jeopardy like this does, which is the big point I want to make on this is that scoring system creating the jeopardy means that actually sometimes strategy doesn't win. And I think that's what we've seen a little bit this week and we've seen in the mixed doubles is, know, of a sudden Cobolli hits just a big winner out of nowhere. Whereas, you know, and even if we take his first service game in the in the final, was 30, 40 down, Mensik hit two good returns and Cobolli played through the middle. 

 

In men's doubles, that just knocked off, whereas he kind of gets away with some of those things, maybe in mixed doubles, and then all of a sudden he just smacks a big forehand down the line and you know, you get the break of serve. So I felt they were going to be a good pair. Mensik's got just an incredible serve, right, and Muchova’s just so gifted. So I kind of felt they were the most solid and you know, doubles is often the percentages end up winning eventually, you know, normally across a tournament, you know, that doesn't mean the best team always win the tournament, especially with that scoring system. And then Rublev won a, won a masters 1000 event with Khachanov and Andreeva. 

 

Andreeva has been playing fantastic doubles now for a couple of years with Shnaider,you know, made WTA finals last year. And that's also, I'd like to shout out Andreeva and a bit of advice, not that I'm, who am I to coach Andreeva, but I think she needs to name that chimp when she's playing and the emotions are flying, she needs to name it Andrey Rublev, because she mothered him through that tournament, you know, and the way that she was with him, I think massively helped her. It's just a shame when she had the match point in the semi-finals, she missed a backhand volley at nine seven in the semi-finals, but I thought their connection was fantastic. So people are going to be saying, doubles players, doubles players.

 

But actually for me, these six of the eight players there, maybe not Cobollii, I'm not sure he's a doubles player per se, but mixed doubles I think he is. Whereas I do think that the other five outside of Monfils and Svitolina are top quality doubles players and that's been proven with their results over the years as well. Yeah, and a little bit more on the Jeopardy, I guess I was there also yesterday watching Patten, Siniakova. 

 

I really thought they were going to win the event. Thought they had the bit between their teeth. They are the best doubles players in the world and in their, in their own rights. I think their records proven that over the next 12, 24 months. and, and just, their, their matches, Monfils and Svitolina, was like, and this is my thing with mixed doubles. It's in general, I know it doesn't always happen, but in general, the men are holding their service game. then.

 

You are, you are then rely that becomes down to the women's service game. And then a set to fall that can sometimes, if I take Gaby's first round qualify and herself and Mladenovic  served twice each. And the whole match, you know, only two service games each. And it's like those games become so, so important. And Henry had it, had an easy put away at Deuce on Svitolina’s first service game. And he missed and you could see in his face, he knew, he knew that, my goodness, that's potentially was the set on that one point. 

 

That was potentially the set in women's doubles. That's not the case, you see, because in women's doubles, there's so many breaks of serve. So you, you feel you can break in every, in every single game, you know, men's men's doubles. Also you, you have very few opportunities. It's not quite normally one service game. It's both service games, but it's.

 

It's, it's so systematic. It's very, very difficult to create your opportunities. And you might have one opportunity in the whole match, right? Or you might get one break of serve and that is the match done. and I thought that was really interesting. And then anyone that's seen the highlights, would have seen the Monfils ball that he got back from the crowd. That was at two, one in the tie break. And then the next point Svitolina played an unbelievable point. 

 

And that's not to take anything away from Monfils and Svitolina, but it's like in that scoring system that's less games and you first set your sets to four sudden death juice and then a tie break, you ultimately are bringing that jeopardy in. You're bringing, you know, one bad error, one double fault, one lucky volley can have a big impact. The longer, that's why we often see at Grand Slams in the doubles that the best teams tend to do well because the scoring system is longer form.

 

And obviously in singles, see it in the men's singles over five sets. The longer the scoring system, the less jeopardy, the more the better team tends to be. And that's the whole double system, right? Is about winning 52 % of the points. Now, Patten and Siniakova won over 52 % of the points in that match, but because the scoring system's so short, they lost a couple of the wrong points and then they got a bit nervous and I think they wanted to prove a point.

 

And then all of a sudden you lose ten in the third. So that's, think, important that people recognize that as well. But overall, a good event, it's not a major, but a good event, well done to Eric, great crowds and fair play to US Open for putting that on. I don't like that they've taken away the mixed doubles, the meritocracy of the mixed doubles. I think there should now be a mixed doubles event as well, and that's the exhibition.

 

Or we completely look at this, but we look at it across the tour and we create some kind of mixed doubles point system that also means there's a bit of a meritocracy in terms of who qualifies for these events as well. Would be my say on it. In terms of other news, just whilst I'm on US Open, I personally don't think Carlos Alcaraz is gonna play, so that's gonna be interesting. I think he's the sort of person who we would pull out before the draw on Friday. 

 

So I think we've got an important 24 hours coming up for Carlos Alcaraz. I just don't see, haven't watched him play mixed doubles yesterday. I don't think he's ready. Going in and playing five sets. I know he lost a feast one and two in a match yesterday. He's not looking great. He lost to Merida as well. Six one in a set. He looks off. He doesn't look ready.

 

And I think we'll see Carlos Alcaraz  pulling out of the event. Let's see. It'll be a shame because he has star quality off the charts and just him being around add so much to the tournament. But let's see. Sabalenka, I will talk about it maybe a little bit more in the preview this weekend, but I'm seeing her at Vogue events. I'm seeing her more events than I am tennis courts. I do worry that Sabalenka's maybe become too big of a star off the court.

 

And, and I don't quite see, you know, that focus. hasn't won an event since April. It feels like maybe focus is going and gone a little bit. And my prediction is she won't be getting that back in time to be a US Open winner right now. Whereas someone like, I'm not saying Pegula is going to win, but Pegula has come straight from Cincinnati making the final mixed doubles. See her on the practice court. Just maybe a little bit more locked in right now.

 

Just personal personal opinion in terms of a couple more little bits of insight and all that Felix or or Gialessi who could end up becoming our number two seed very interesting. He's playing a lot. He's training a lot. He's putting in the hours. There's an argument that maybe too many hours, you know, I know he's doing a long session tomorrow as he's a bergs of three hours. He seems to be kind of doing double sessions. Really interesting seeing how these top players are preparing. 

 

And then we were always on court with Iga, Iga Swiatek’s hitting partner tonight. And, you know, he was also saying, you know, Iga’s in a good place, but it's been interesting. Iga’s been hitting a lot with him rather than playing sets with the other women in the draw. Whereas Felix on the flip side has been playing lots of sets with people in the draw. So it's really interesting just seeing how different people are focusing. Court-wise, looking a little bit quicker.

 

I have been told by people at the US Open they have sped the courts up a little bit. Don't know why, but they have. Arthur Ashe Stadium has had a shift of taking 2,200 seats from the top down to the bottom. Smart business move. You can sell the tickets more money for the bottom tickets. I thought that was interesting for the mixed doubles. You would have seen the coaches sit inside of the court. That was because they sold all of the tickets and they also soldthe player box tickets to people that wanted to get in for the mixed doubles. 

 

You market it right, doubles sells. It sold too much on this occasion because there was no player box left, but they did pull up some chairs. It was almost like deck chairs at the side of the court. I do believe that player box will be back up in the stadium once the main event starts on Sunday. My last little one is a little gripe on the commentators that I keep hearing.

 

I've heard so many comments by the commentators where I think come on know your sport and one of them tonight was Bencic's favorite shot is her forehand and that's just not accurate information. So if you are a commentator and you are listening to this, which I doubt you will be, but maybe you should because I'd like to have my commentary while I'm watching these matches.

 

Coming from people that understand the sport here now and the players, not people that are just making random comments without really being on the ground and having the insight. So my last little gripe is do better commentators. Preview will be coming this weekend with our usual guests. So look out for that. I'll be trying to bring as many lives as I can. Like and subscribe to the channel. Get your questions in.

 

If you're enjoying listening and hearing the little insights from US Open, then do let us know. If you're not enjoying them, also let us know, but you don't have to listen. But thank you for listening. Until next time, I'm Dan Kiernan and we are Control the Controllables.