Alex de Minaur Eyes Mixed Doubles Return with Fiancée Katie Boulter at US Open
DUBAI – Alex de Minaur is eager for a potential on-court reunion with fiancée Katie Boulter, hinting at a mixed doubles partnership at the newly revamped US Open event.
“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 during Media Day at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
The United States Tennis Association (USTA) recently announced a major change to the US Open mixed doubles format. Instead of taking place during the tournament’s second week, the event will now be held during Fan Week, with a reduced 16-team draw designed to attract more singles players.
De Minaur, who last played mixed doubles with Boulter at Wimbledon 2023, sees this change as a rare opportunity.
“As the format stands now, singles players rarely play mixed doubles because their priority is singles. It’s halfway through the tournament, making it too difficult—especially for the men playing best-of-five sets who need to focus on recovery,” he explained. “With the new setup, it definitely entices more singles players to participate, and it’s an exciting opportunity.”
However, the 26-year-old acknowledged that the adjustment isn’t ideal for doubles specialists, who may have to rely on wild card entries under the new system.
A Power Duo on the Court?
De Minaur and Boulter, who announced their engagement in December, are regular supporters at each other’s matches. Their familiarity with each other’s game could make them a formidable duo when the new mixed doubles format debuts in August.
“I feel like I’ve watched so many WTA matches just by watching Katie!” De Minaur said with a laugh. “We’ve learned a lot from each other’s tours. Before we were together, we probably didn’t know as much, but it’s been fun to have that dynamic. We bounce ideas off each other—sometimes we agree, sometimes we don’t, but it’s always with good intentions.”
De Minaur’s Strong Start to 2025
The No. 2 seed in Dubai, De Minaur enters the tournament after a solid start to the season. He recently completed a career box set of Grand Slam quarterfinal appearances and finished runner-up at the ABN AMRO Open in Rotterdam, where he fell to Carlos Alcaraz in three sets.
However, his most recent outing at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open ended in disappointment, as he lost a third-set tiebreaker to Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals.
“Obviously, the last one stings a bit,” De Minaur admitted. “I felt like I had my chances, and it just slipped away at the very end. But it’s all about putting myself in those situations, playing a lot of matches, and staying confident that it will lead me in the right direction to achieve my goals.”
De Minaur opens his Dubai campaign against 2014 US Open champion Marin Cilic. If results go his way, he could set up a semifinal rematch with Rublev—a showdown that, no doubt, Boulter will have some strategic advice for.
