U.S. Open mixed doubles: Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka enter but no Alcaraz or Sinner yet

The U.S. Open’s mixed doubles competition, which has become a chess piece in negotiations between tennis stars and tournament organizers over compensation, has announced its initial entry list for 2026. The stars are on the bill, with some intriguing omissions — for now.

Aryna Sabalenka, the women’s world No. 1, and Novak Djokovic, the 24-Grand Slam champion, form the headline pair among the initial batch of entries. Sabalenka did not compete in last year’s inaugural edition, while Djokovic teamed up with compatriot Olga Danilović.

They are joined by six-time major champion Iga Świątek and three-time major finalist Casper Ruud, who lost in last year’s final to doubles stars Andrea Vavassori and Sara Errani, who put one over on singles pair after singles pair. The defending champions are back — and will likely receive a wild card entry, according to a person briefed on the tournament’s plans who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about them.

Other notable entries include Amanda Anisimova and Learner Tien; Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper; Naomi Osaka and Kei Nishikori, and Taylor Townsend and Alexander Zverev. Men’s world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, the sidelined Carlos Alcaraz and Venus and Serena Williams are not yet on the list.

Alcaraz, the seven-time Grand Slam champion who has been out with a wrist injury since clay season, is on the U.S. Open singles entry list along with Sinner; the Williams sisters would both require wild cards to enter the singles draw. Alcaraz last year partnered with Emma Raducanu, while Sinner was set to partner with women’s doubles world No. 1 Kateřina Siniaková before he withdrew to due to illness.

“Anytime you can bring women and men together on the same team, you showcase tennis at its best,” new U.S. Tennis Association chief executive Craig Tiley said in a statement.

Entry closes in three weeks, on August 17. Come that deadline, the six teams on the entry list with the best combined singles ranking will receive direct entry.

Eight more teams will receive a wild card entry, with tournament organizers basing that decision on a combination of quality and star appeal. Then two more will come through an eight-team qualifying event, new for this year, to make a field of 16. That event will have six direct entries by ranking and two wild cards.

As in 2025, the mixed doubles is the headline event for what the U.S. Open calls Fan Week, which takes up the seven days before the main-draw singles competition of the year’s final Grand Slam begins. It will run over three days, between August 24 and August 26.

It was wildly successful last year, attracting some 78,000 spectators over two days of competition and packing Arthur Ashe Stadium for the semifinals and finals. Errani and Vavassori picked up $1 million for their win, but the highest-profile pair of doubles specialists for this year sees joint men’s world No. 1 Henry Patten, who has been outspoken on ATP Tour plans to cut doubles draws from 2028, uniting with Siniaková.

Pegula and Sabalenka’s entries are notable because they have been at the center of the player push for prize money reform at the Grand Slams, which itself has centered on the mixed doubles event in recent weeks.

Sinner said during Wimbledon that he would not play the mixed doubles event without significant progress in negotiations between a cohort of top-10 ATP and WTA players and the organizers of the four majors.

A person briefed on the group’s plans who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect relationships within tennis said last week that other players were ready to make a similar stand, but for the moment, several have expressed their intention to play.

Other notable names that have not signed up include Coco Gauff, who last year cited conflicts with sponsor commitments; Ben Shelton, who played last year with Townsend; Alex de Minaur and Katie Boulter, who wed earlier this month.

Teams will play best-of-three sets to four games until the final, with a 10-point tiebreak instead of a third set.

In the final, the sets will stretch to the usual six games, with a 10-point tiebreak instead of a third set. No-ad scoring, which means a deciding point is played at deuce, will be used throughout the tournament.

U.S. Open 2026 mixed doubles entry list

As of July 27. Pairs in bold would receive direct entry into the main draw based on their combined singles ranking.

Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic

Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz

Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev

Iga Świątek and Casper Ruud

Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli

Diana Shnaider and Daniil Medvedev

Amanda Anisimova and Learner Tien

Alex Eala and Félix Auger-Aliassime

Leylah Fernandez and Frances Tiafoe

Taylor Townsend and Alexander Zverev

Elena-Gabriela Ruse and Nuno Borges

Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper

Naomi Osaka and Kei Nishikori

Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori

Kateřina Siniaková and Henry Patten

Peyton Stearns and Preston Stearns

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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