Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka will partner up for the 2026 US Open Mixed Doubles Championship, the USTA confirmed on Monday as part of an initial wave of 16 team entries for the revamped event. The two-day main draw is scheduled for 25-26 August at Flushing Meadows, played before the singles competition gets underway. Djokovic is a 24-time Grand Slam champion and still ranked fifth on the men’s tour at age 39, while Sabalenka holds the WTA world number one ranking and has won the US Open singles title in each of the past two years.
The pairing is the marquee attraction of a stacked entry list that also features Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud, last year’s finalists, returning together. Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper, who reached the semi-finals in 2025, are also reuniting. Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz, Naomi Osaka and Kei Nishikori, Leylah Fernandez and Frances Tiafoe, and Taylor Townsend and Alexander Zverev round out several of the headline pairings.
Defending Champions and Doubles Specialists Return
Italy’s Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, two-time defending champions, are back to defend their title. The pair needed a wildcard to enter last year’s event due to their singles rankings being too low, and the same route is expected again in 2026. British world doubles number one Henry Patten has entered alongside Czech Katerina Siniakova, giving the event another team of genuine doubles specialists alongside Errani and Vavassori. Siblings Peyton Stearns and Preston Stearns are also on the list.
Notable Absentees
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are both absent from the initial entry list. According to BBC Sport, Alcaraz is still recovering from a wrist injury, while Sinner — who won his fifth major at Wimbledon last month — pulled out of the Canadian Open to focus on his health and has not entered here either. Serena Williams, who made a comeback at Wimbledon before a knee injury halted a planned doubles appearance alongside Venus, has not yet entered, though the window remains open.
How the Draw Works
Teams can continue registering until 17 August. At that point, the six pairings with the highest combined singles rankings will earn automatic main-draw spots. Eight further places will be allocated via wildcard, and a qualifying tournament on 24 August will decide the remaining two slots. All main-draw matches will be held at Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium and televised on ESPN’s platforms.
Format and Prize Money
The event uses a compressed scoring format through the semi-finals — sets to four games, tiebreakers at 4-all, and a 10-point match tiebreak in place of a third set. The final reverts to standard scoring. USTA chief executive Craig Tiley said the format brings the biggest names in men’s and women’s tennis together and is designed to engage new audiences. Last year’s event drew 78,000 fans to the grounds and sold out Arthur Ashe Stadium across both days, with a $1 million prize pot on offer for the winners.
