全米ＯＰが混合ダブルスを大幅刷新、批判の声も

【ニューヨークＡＦＰ＝時事】全米オープンテニスの主催者は１１日、混合ダブルスを男子シングルスと女子シングルスの本戦が始まる前週に、単独のイベントとして開催するという大幅な改革を打ち出した。（写真は資料写真）
　今年の開催日程は８月１９日と２０日の２日間で、米ニューヨークのビリー・ジーン・キング・ナショナル・テニスセンターで行われる。
　出場するのは全１６組で、８組がシングルスのランキングに基づいて出場となり、残りの８組はワイルドカード（主催者推薦）で決まる。
　試合は３セットマッチながら、各セットは４ゲーム先取。ノーアドバンテージスコアリングでゲームカウント４－４からタイブレークに入る。３セット目については１０ポイントのマッチタイブレークが採用される。決勝は６ゲーム先取の３セットマッチで行われるが、こちらもノーアドバンテージスコアリングで行われる。６－６でタイブレークとなり、第３セットのみ１０ポイントのマッチタイブレークが行われる。
　一方でこの劇的な動きには、一部から批判の声が上がっている。大会側は、今回の決定はシングルスのトップ選手を混合ダブルスに参加させることを目的としていると述べたが、これによりダブルス専門選手の機会が制限される可能性がある。
　元ダブルス世界ランク１位のポール・マクナミー氏は、この変更に批判的で、大会の混合ダブルスの価値を下げると発言。Ｘ（旧ツイッター）に「全米オープンはもう本物の混合ダブルスの勝者を生み出さないだろう」「四大大会（グランドスラム）のタイトルからエキシビションに格下げされた。正直、ショックだ」とつづった。
　また、昨年の全豪オープンとウィンブルドン選手権で混合ダブルスを制したヤン・ジエリンスキ（ポーランド）は、この改革について「選手との対話もなく、一部の人々のキャリアにとって何を意味するのかを考えず、歴史と伝統への敬意もない」と述べ、「悲しい」とＸに投稿している。
　主催者は先月、大会のもう一つの変更も発表しており、２週間にわたる本戦が日曜日からスタートすることになった。今年の本戦は、８月２４日から９月７日にかけて行われる。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2025/02/12-18:44）

US tennis chiefs announced a radical overhaul of the US Open's mixed doubles on Tuesday, unveiling plans to stage the competition as a standalone event in the week before the main men's and women's singles draws get under way.
In a dramatic move that was greeted with criticism in some quarters, US Open organizers said the mixed doubles event, using an amended rulebook, would now take place over two days of competition on August 19-20 at Flushing Meadows.
The tournament will be me made up of 16 teams, with eight teams earning direct entry based on their combined singles ranking playing alongside eight wild-card entrants.
Each match will be played as best-of-three sets, but sets will be abbreviated to first to four games, with no-advantage scoring, tiebreakers at four-all, and a 10-point match tiebreak in lieu of a third set.
The final will be best-of-three to six games, but also featuring no-advantage scoring, with tiebreaks at six games all and a 10-point match tiebreaker instead of a third set.
All matches will be played on the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center's prime Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium courts.
I could not be more excited to introduce this groundbreaking innovation to the 2025 US Open Championships, US Tennis Association executive director Lew Sherr said in a statement.
We'll be scheduling mixed doubles on the center stage and enabling more fans worldwide to enjoy the thrill of watching their favorite stars compete for this coveted Grand Slam Championship title.
- 'Profound injustice' -
This is the official US Open Mixed Doubles Championship, and by giving the competition its own spotlight we're elevating mixed doubles to put an even greater focus on the incredible talent we have across the sport.
US Open organizers said the move was designed to entice top singles players to play in the mixed doubles event -- potentially limiting opportunities for doubles specialists.
Paul McNamee, the Australian former doubles world number one, was among critics of the shake-up, saying it would devalue the US Open mixed doubles title.
Sets to four games in a Grand Slam? 16 teams with eight based on singles rankings and eight wildcards. I'm sorry, but the US Open now will not produce a bona fide mixed doubles winner, McNamee wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Devalued from a Grand Slam title to an exo (exhibition). Let's just say I'm in shock.
Poland's Jan Zielinski, a winner of the mixed doubles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon last year, described the revamp as sad.
No communication with the players, no thought behind what it means to some people's careers, no respect to the history and traditions, Zielinski wrote on X. Sad to see.
Last year's US Open mixed doubles winners, Italian duo Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, lambasted the decision in a statement on social media, labeling it a profound injustice.
Making decisions just following the logic of profit is profoundly wrong in some situations, the duo wrote.
In the last few weeks we received the news that the US Open mixed doubles tournament will be completely turned upside down, cancelled and replaced with a pseudo-exhibition focused only on entertainment and show.
We see it as a profound injustice that disrespects an entire category of players... we don't know at the moment if we'll have the chance to defend our title but we hope this remains an isolated case.
US Open organizers had already announced another change to the tournament recently, with the main draw for the fortnight now starting on a Sunday. This year's singles tournament will be staged from August 24 to September 7.