Alex de Minaur and Nick Kyrgios, two of Australia’s top tennis stars, will not participate in the revamped 2025 US Open mixed doubles event, scheduled for August 19-20 during Fan Week. De Minaur, the world No. 8, had publicly campaigned for a wildcard to play alongside his fiancée, British No. 1 Katie Boulter, tweeting, “Katie and I would like to ask for a WC pretty pretty please 🙏😢” on July 30, 2025 (@alexdeminaur, web:0). However, the US Tennis Association rejected their bid, leaving De Minaur as the highest-ranked male player excluded from the 16-team draw, despite several high-profile withdrawals (web:0, web:2). Kyrgios, meanwhile, withdrew from his planned pairing with Naomi Osaka due to ongoing knee issues, casting doubt on his singles participation (web:4, web:7).
The US Open mixed doubles, with a $1 million prize pool, features a controversial format—sets to four games, no-ad scoring, and a 10-point tiebreak—criticized by 2024 champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori as a “pseudo-exhibition” (web:0). Eight teams qualified via combined singles rankings, while eight received wildcards, but neither De Minaur-Boulter nor Kyrgios-Osaka made the cut (web:3). De Minaur’s exclusion is compounded by Boulter’s commitment to a tournament in Cleveland, reducing their chances further unless she exits early (web:2). Kyrgios, who posted on social media that his knee was “cooked” after a doubles return at the DC Open, was replaced by Gael Monfils as Osaka’s partner (web:7, web:8).
The draw, announced on August 17, includes star-studded pairs like Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu, and top seeds Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper, who benefited from other withdrawals (web:0, web:9). Posts on X reflected disappointment, with one stating, “Demon and Boulter snubbed for US Open mixed doubles? Such a shame” (@TheFirstServeAU, August 18, 2025) (post:0). Kyrgios’ withdrawal, reported by 7NEWS, raises concerns about his US Open singles campaign, where he’s entered via a protected ranking (web:7). Both players’ absences mirror strategic choices by athletes like Alexei Popyrin, focusing on the Davis Cup, or Luke Littler prioritizing major darts events. As the US Open looms, De Minaur and Kyrgios shift focus to singles, leaving fans hopeful for their return to form.
