A revamped competition with the top singles players and held the week before the main tournament has caught attention at Flushing Meadows
A few hours after Taylor Fritz’s third-round match at the Cincinnati Open, the theme of his post-match press conference shifted from his tough victory against Lorenzo Sonego to the looming US Open mixed doubles tournament. The first question posed to him on this subject was carefully prefaced with the acknowledgment that mixed doubles was probably not his priority in the middle of one of the biggest tournaments in the world. As a grin spread across his face, Fritz quickly interjected: “It is a priority,” he said.
Fritz had been asked whether he had any sympathy for the frustrated doubles specialists who had been brushed aside to make room for the transformation of this event. From his perspective, the right players were in the draw: “I’ve seen a lot of people calling it like an exhibition, or it doesn’t count. I personally think this is the strongest mixed doubles field you’re going to see at a grand slam, in my opinion. If the mixed doubles teams that are in come in and win the event, then I’ll eat my words and say I’m wrong, but I personally think the level is going to be really high,” he said.
