US Open mixed doubles: Everything to know - ESPN

With star-studded pairings, record prize money and a healthy dose of controversy, the US Open mixed doubles draw gets underway Tuesday in New York with more fanfare than ever before.

Wondering what exactly is so unusual about this event or what we can expect from it? Here's everything you need to know before play begins.

Quite a bit. Normally, the mixed doubles event runs concurrently with the main draw and the championship match is held during the final weekend. But this edition will be condensed into two days during qualifying week. While mixed doubles matches are often relegated to the outer courts, and scheduled around singles and doubles matches, these will all be held exclusively at Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium, the two biggest courts at the USTA National Tennis Center.

And, in addition to a radically different format (more on that below), this tournament also features an unprecedented number of top-ranked singles players.

Usually a player's doubles ranking is used for entry and seeding in mixed doubles events, but the US Open is using singles rankings, making entry more accessible for the best-known players. Because many top players — especially the men, who play best-of-five sets — don't want to jeopardize their singles runs during majors, they often don't play mixed doubles. But by holding mixed doubles the week before the main draw, this is no longer an issue. Two-time US Open semifinalist Frances Tiafoe told ESPN it felt like a no-brainer to play as a result.

«We get to play serious matches on Ashe, in front of packed arenas, and all the best players in the world are going to be playing,» Tiafoe said earlier this month. «It's good to get out there and have some fun, play some mixed doubles