Alex Eala, Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Defending Champions Receive Wild Cards for US Open Mixed Doubles

NEW YORK — Rising women’s tennis star Alex Eala and her partner Felix Auger-Aliassime, along with spouses Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils, and two-time defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori have been awarded wild cards for the US Open mixed doubles tournament.

The U.S. Tennis Association announced on Monday that 11 of the 16 teams for the championship have been confirmed, with six teams qualifying based on their combined rankings and five receiving wild cards. Leading the draw is the team of No. 1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka and 24-time men’s Grand Slam singles champion Novak Djokovic, who hold the lowest combined singles ranking of any duo in the competition.

Other teams qualifying directly based on rankings include: Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz, Diana Shnaider and Daniil Medvedev, last year’s runner-up team Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud, Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli, as well as Amanda Anisimova and Learner Tien. The remaining wild cards announced on Monday were allocated to Leylah Fernandez and Frances Tiafoe, and Taylor Townsend and Alexander Zverev.

The tournament will commence with the first round and quarterfinals on August 25, followed by the semifinals and final on August 26. Matches will take place at either Arthur Ashe Stadium or Louis Armstrong Stadium. Three wild-card spots remain to be filled, with the final two teams entering the main draw through an eight-team qualifying tournament set for August 24.

Teams confirmed for the qualifying tournament include Katerina Siniakova and Henry Patten, Gabriela Dabrowski and Harri Heliovaara, Luisa Stefani and Neal Skupski, Aleksandra Krunic and Mate Pavic, Jelena Ostapenko and Marcelo Arevalo, and Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool. Two additional wild cards will also be issued for the qualifying tournament.

Eala, 21, recently made headlines by securing her first professional title at the DC Open, becoming the first player from the Philippines to win a WTA Tour event. In contrast, Monfils, who is approaching retirement after this season, continues to maintain a significant fan following. Errani and Vavassori are set to defend their title won in New York in 2024, albeit with uncertainty about their participation following a USTA initiative to revamp the event to attract top singles players who previously avoided mixed doubles. They have since received a wild card and will be the only traditional doubles team competing in this year’s event.

Special Credits: Image Courtesy of Espn