Dial 1-900-MIXALOT

The much-discussed US Open Mixed Doubles Championship Exhibition presented by the company that provides me with my daily collagen intake – but is also way too expensive to actually make it a daily thing so I just kind of have it once every few weeks so is it really helping I don't know probably not is that my fault or their fault who's to say – is finally upon us.

• Here are the nuts and bolts, courtesy of D'Arcy Maine. (ESPN)
• Why are people mad? Howard Fendrich explains. (AP)

“When you get the biggest names playing doubles, it does bring a bit more attention to it,” said Joe Salisbury, a British player who’s won two Grand Slam titles in mixed doubles and four in men’s doubles, “but I’m not sure it’s good for the doubles event, because it’s not really a proper event. It’s just a two-day exhibition.”

Tournament director Stacey Allaster objects to that sort of characterization.

“Let’s be absolutely crystal clear: This is a Grand Slam championship. It is not an exhibition,” Allaster said. “We’re sympathetic to the doubles specialists who don’t like this change. ... (But) we know that when fans see top players competing ... this is going to inspire more fans to not only attend but to play tennis, and it’s ultimately going to grow the sport.”

• And here's the awesome Ava Wallace – who is crushing this video content on Insta – for The Washington Post:

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• Over the last few weeks I've spoken to a few of the doubles players on both tours about the event. Here's what I got:
  • Here's ATP Doubles No.1 Marcelo Arevalo, who originally entered along with former WTA Doubles No.1 Katerina Siniakova. The duo were passed over for an early wild card and, ultimately, Siniakova bailed on him to pair with ATP Singles No.1 Jannik Sinner. All credit to Marcelo, who was very diplomatic when I spoke to him in Toronto:

Marcelo Arevalo in Toronto

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• But his doubles partner Mate Pavic made it clear where he stood on it:

Mate Pavic in Toronto

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• Poland's Jan Zielinsky is a two-time Mixed Doubles Champion, winning both last year with Hsieh Su-Wei. I asked him how he felt about the fact that the winners of the upcoming event – played over two days in a fast-four format – would own a title that, historically, will be equated to the ones he won:

Jan Zielinsky in Toronto

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• Jessica Pegula is set to play the event with Jack Draper. She explains that her issue with the event is how it was just dropped on everyone without much communication or feedback. Sounds like everyone was blindsided:

Jessica Pegula in Cincinnati

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• WTA Doubles No.1 Taylor Townsend, who is playing with Ben Shelton, urged people to give it a chance. Taylor's not wrong: we tend to be very knee-jerk and automatically resistant to change in this sport. But also, that's easier for her to say since she got a wild card to play.

Taylor Townsend in Cincinnati

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• Via Tumaini Carayol, Taylor Fritz is ready to bring the heat with Elena Rybakina. (The Guardian)

Fritz had been asked whether he had any sympathy for the frustrated doubles specialists who had been brushed aside to make room for the transformation of this event. From his perspective, the right players were in the draw. “I’ve seen a lot of people calling it like an exhibition, or it doesn’t count,” he said.

“I think this is the strongest mixed doubles field you’re going to see at a grand slam. If the mixed doubles teams that are in come in and win the event, then I’ll eat my words and say I’m wrong, but I think the level is going to be really high.”

• I do like the idea of pitting the pride of the doubles players against the pride of the singles players. To Zielinsky's point above, that would have been fine, just give 8 spots to the singles players and 8 spots to pure mixed teams and let them go at it. That would have been fun.

And so...that's where we're at, I guess. Again, who knows what this event actually looks like when the first ball is struck on Tuesday at 11am in Flushing Meadows.

As we keep having to say, three of the four Cincinnati finalists – including an ill Jannik Sinner who JUST retired from the singles final after five games due to illness – are set to play this event, which is – checks watch – less than 20 hours away and – checks compass – around 600 miles/1000 kilometers away.

Even if they scramble some private jets to get them there tonight, that's a quick sleep and an early wake up call to get to site, pick up credentials, move into your locker, do a proper warm-up and play at – if you're Iga – NOON.

I know I sound like a broken record on this but once again, tennis:

This event is going to be fun. I have a hard time believing – even if there are still a few withdrawals coming – that fans aren't going to have a good time. And I'm not talking about hard-core fans who go to sleep worrying about the viability of a niche aspect of the sport. I'm talking about general sports or tennis fans who are just gonna be jazzed to see Venus Williams returning an Andrey Rublev serve. Or Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz giggle around a tennis court. Or maybe they just want to see something light, fun, and low-stakes. There's nothing wrong with that!

Honestly, the late rounds and final on Wednesday would be a pretty fun corporate ticket if marketed right. Come watch the stars play tennis in a format that doesn't require you to shut up and be on your best behavior 90% of the time. This shouldn't be underestimated as a marketing problem for tennis. If I had to entertain a client – which I used to have to do in my previous life – I would rather take them to a baseball or basketball game, where we can chit chat for 2-3 hours, rather than sit silently next to each other at a tennis match.

So yeah, a night session of mixed doubles that has some of the sport's biggest stars playing? That sounds pretty good to me, a fancy business person. And on the flip side, maybe a mixed doubles ticket is a way more affordable way for me, a person who doesn't have a load of disposable income – which would be me in my current life – to see the game's biggest stars in action. That seems very good too!

But again, the existential question that will linger after the event is done – and if it's a success, you know other Slams will think about picking up on this format – is this: