Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka register for US Open mixed doubles

Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka have registered to play US Open mixed doubles. The event will be played before the main singles competition. Both players add major singles experience to a new partnership.

Mixed doubles begins on 24 August in New York. The title match is scheduled two days later. The champions receive one million dollars from the event prize fund.

Two leading singles players form a new pair

Djokovic and Sabalenka are entered as one mixed doubles team. They have not built their careers through a regular doubles schedule. Their partnership therefore gives the event a strong new attraction.

Djokovic owns 24 major singles titles and a long New York history. Sabalenka has also won major singles trophies on hard courts. Both understand the speed and pressure of matches at Flushing Meadows.

Mixed doubles changes the space and rhythm around each point. Four players share the court, with two on each side of the tennis net. Communication becomes as important as the first powerful shot.

The Serbian and Belarusian bring strong returns from the baseline. They also serve with enough pace to shorten many points. The shorter match format increases the value of every early break.

The event fills places through rankings, invitations and qualifying. Rankings place leading pairs directly into the event. Wild cards and qualifying complete the remaining places.

The event uses a compact schedule

The mixed doubles championship runs across three days. Opening matches take place before the main singles draw begins. That position allows leading singles players to enter more easily.

Monday's matches will be free for spectators in the Grandstand. Tuesday's matches at Louis Armstrong Stadium are also free for spectators. The final day decides the title before singles competition takes over.

Sabalenka returns to New York for both singles and mixed doubles.

Most sets use a first-to-four-games format. A tiebreak decides sets that reach four games each. The final returns to two standard sets with a match tiebreak if required.

Short sets leave little time to recover from a poor service game. One strong return immediately changes the direction of a short set. Pairs also face less time for tactical discussion between changes.

The schedule is designed around a sixteen-team field. Four wins are enough to secure the title. Every round therefore carries the pressure of a knockout match.

A strong entry list surrounds the pair

Several other leading singles players also entered with new partners. Iga Świątek will play alongside Casper Ruud. Jack Draper and Jessica Pegula form another notable pairing.

Leylah Fernandez joins Frances Tiafoe in a North American team. Other combinations bring together players from different national programmes. The field mixes established champions with experienced doubles performers.

The direct entry list uses combined singles rankings. That method rewards pairs whose members hold strong individual positions. Six teams qualify directly through the combined ranking.

Eight wild cards give organisers room for additional pairings. The final two places come from a short qualifying competition. Entries remain active until the stated August deadline.

Djokovic and Sabalenka carry enough ranking strength for direct consideration. Their names also connect two large international supporter groups. The partnership will attract attention from the opening round.

Djokovic will compete in two New York events

Djokovic normally arrives in New York focused on the singles title. The mixed event gives him an earlier competitive start. It also places him on court before the main draw begins.

His return remains one of his strongest weapons on a hard court. That skill becomes especially useful against shorter service games. A single successful return game may decide an entire set.

Sabalenka supplies direct power from both the serve and groundstrokes. She also knows the conditions at the main New York stadiums. The pair enters with experience of high-pressure evening sessions.

The partnership does not alter their separate singles entries. Both players still prepare for the main individual competition. The mixed schedule ends before those longer matches begin.

Their first opponent will become known when the draw is completed. Both players bring major singles titles to the new partnership. Djokovic now has a second trophy available during his New York visit.

Entry combines two strong singles rankings

The tournament uses combined singles rankings for several direct places. Djokovic and Sabalenka both enter with high individual positions. Their total places them among the leading announced teams.

Sabalenka has already won the women's singles title in New York.

Direct entry does not create a seeding guarantee by itself. The final draw depends on the completed field. Wild cards and qualifiers add more leading names.

The organisers published the initial teams before the August deadline. Players continue their separate singles preparation in the meantime. The mixed competition begins during the week before singles.

Djokovic has played mixed doubles for Serbia in team events. Sabalenka also has experience sharing the court with a partner. New York brings them together for a Grand Slam event.

Their playing styles provide power from both sides of the court. Djokovic adds a precise return and controlled first contact. Sabalenka brings one of the fastest serves in the women's game.

Short sets create an unusual Grand Slam format

The early rounds use sets that end at four games. A short tiebreak separates teams when the score reaches four-all. The compact format makes the early rounds shorter.

The championship match uses longer sets than the earlier rounds. A match tiebreak decides the title after one set each. The final therefore lasts longer than an early-round match.

Opening sessions use Grandstand and Louis Armstrong Stadium. The final moves the remaining teams onto the main stage. Spectators attend the first sessions without a separate match ticket.

One million dollars goes to the winning team. The prize is shared by the two champions. Other rounds also carry payments from the mixed doubles fund.

Djokovic and Sabalenka first await their draw position. Their mixed-doubles schedule begins before the singles tournament. The partnership adds another Serbian presence to the New York programme.

The partnership begins with limited preparation time

Both players arrive in New York with separate singles schedules. Their shared practice time will fit around those individual sessions. The short format reduces the number of patterns they need immediately.

The two players will choose their service order and preferred court sides before the match. Those choices affect returns and movement near the net. The pair tests them during its practice sessions.

The draw will reveal whether they start against another singles-led team. Some opponents may bring more regular doubles experience. Djokovic and Sabalenka bring strong serving and returning skills.

The event schedule places every round within three consecutive days. A winning pair returns quickly for its next match. Recovery therefore happens alongside continued singles practice.

New York crowds already know both players from long singles runs. Their first shared appearance presents a different court arrangement. Two opponents and frequent net play change the familiar picture.