Tennis husband and wife sign up for US Open mixed doubles competition
Tennis husband and wife sign up for US Open mixed doubles competition
Sian Jones Tue, August 4, 2026 at 11:16 AM UTC
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Katie Boulter and Alex de Minaur have entered a US Open mixed doubles event (Image: Getty)
Tennis power couple Katie Boulter and Alex de Minaur have entered the US Open's star-studded mixed doubles event, just one month after their wedding in Tuscany.
The former British No. 1 and world No. 5 tied the knot in Siena before celebrating at the picturesque Borgo Santo Pietro luxury hotel, following a smaller family ceremony in Boulter's home county of Leicestershire.The newlyweds are now set to compete in their first tournament as husband and wife, having previously teamed up in mixed doubles at Wimbledon three years ago.
The US Open introduced its revamped mixed doubles event last year in a bid to attract a wider audience ahead of the main draw singles action. The new format differs from traditional Grand Slam doubles, with the USTA encouraging leading singles stars to form high-profile partnerships. Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu's much-discussed pairing was among the most notable combinations last year.
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Boulter and De Minaur also entered the field in 2025 but narrowly missed out on a place after being edged out by a heavily stacked entry list.
Players can secure a place in the two-day event through direct entry, with six teams selected based on their combined singles rankings. A further eight pairs will receive wildcards into the main draw, while two additional teams will qualify after coming through the preliminary stage. Six teams will gain direct access to qualifying based on their rankings, with two more wildcard spots also available.
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Katie Boulter and Alex de Minaur previously teamed up in mixed doubles at Wimbledon (Image: Getty)
Boulter and De Minaur were included in the second wave of entries, alongside several other high-profile partnerships announced last month.
Among the headline pairings expected to make the main draw are world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic, Elena Rybakina and American No. 1 Taylor Fritz, as well as Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud. Former British No. 1 Jack Draper will also return for a second consecutive year alongside Jessica Pegula, the American No. 1. The unlikely duo reached the semifinals last year.
The newlyweds are not the only romantic pairing in the field. Elena-Gabriela Ruse and Nuno Borges were announced in the first wave of entries, while married couple Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils joined Boulter and De Minaur in the second wave.
Sabalenka and Djokovic are also competing at the event (Image: Getty)
More teams could still be added before the entry window closes on August 17, with several major names yet to find partners, including Jannik Sinner, Alcaraz and Serena Williams.
Despite offering a lucrative $1 million prize, the revamped mixed doubles event uses a shortened format designed to allow multiple matches to be played across the two evening sessions.
Through the semifinals, matches will be best-of-three sets, with sets played to four games using no-ad scoring. A 10-point tiebreak will replace a deciding third set. From the semifinals onwards, sets will instead be played to six games.
Source: “AOL Sports”
