Alex de Minaur and Katie Boulter in massive announcement as Cruz Hewitt feat stuns tennis world

Eisenhower Cup: Tie Break Tens Returns with Star-Studded Mixed Doubles Lineup

The Eisenhower Cup, a Tie Break Tens event, is set to take place on Wednesday (Australian time), featuring 16 mixed doubles teams competing in a fast-paced format. Unlike traditional matches, there are no games or sets—just a single 10-point tie-breaker, where winners advance and losers are eliminated.

Among the top pairings, Alex de Minaur and Katie Boulter will take on Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz, Iga Swiatek and Hubert Hurkacz, Jasmine Paolini and Lorenzo Musetti, Madison Keys and Tommy Paul, Casper Ruud and Maria Sakkari, Emma Navarro and Ben Shelton, and Paula Badosa and Stefanos Tsitsipas. The winning duo will walk away with a $200,000 prize.

De Minaur Eyes Redemption After Costly Rankings Gamble

De Minaur enters the event looking to regain momentum after a $10 million gamble on his tournament schedule backfired. The Aussie star opted to chase ranking points and prize money in Doha and Dubai, skipping Acapulco, where he had won back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024.

However, his decision didn’t pay off, as he was eliminated in the quarterfinals in Doha and second round in Dubai. Meanwhile, Tsitsipas’ title win in Dubai saw De Minaur drop from No.6 to No.10 in the world rankings.

De Minaur and Boulter Set for US Open Mixed Doubles

Despite his singles focus, De Minaur recently hinted at teaming up with Boulter again for the new-look mixed doubles event at the US Open in September. The couple played mixed doubles at Wimbledon 2023, and upcoming format changes in New York are expected to make it easier for singles players to participate.

“I really enjoy playing mixed doubles, so I think it’s going to be fun to hopefully play some mixed with Katie, which will be exciting,” De Minaur said last month. “With the format changes, it’s now an opportunity I’d consider, whereas in previous years, singles was always the priority.”

Cruz Hewitt Makes Senior Tennis Breakthrough

Meanwhile, Cruz Hewitt took a major step in his career, finishing runner-up at an ITF event in Launceston—his first senior-level final. The 16-year-old, son of Australian tennis legend Lleyton Hewitt, impressed fans with his performance before falling to Jason Kubler 2-6, 4-6 in the final.

Cruz, currently ranked No.1174, had a strong run, defeating former top-200 player Dane Sweeney (3-6, 6-4, 6-4) and World No.225 Yu Hsiou Hsu (7-5, 7-5) before the final. His father Lleyton was on hand to support him throughout the tournament.

“It was a great week,” Cruz said after the final. “Thanks for all the support—it got me through a lot of tough matches. Congrats to Kubler, back-to-back wins in Tassie. I’m really pleased with how I’m playing and just trying to keep improving every day.”