Tennis bosses make brutal call on Alex De Minaur’s proposed romantic move with fiancée Katie Boulter
Tennis fans hoping for a romantic on-court moment were left disappointed as US Open organizers rejected Alex de Minaur’s heartfelt plea to play mixed doubles with his fiancée, Katie Boulter, at the 2025 tournament, scheduled for August 19-20 during Fan Week. The world No. 8 Australian, who campaigned for a wildcard with a playful “pretty pretty please” on social media, was denied entry alongside British No. 1 Boulter, ranked No. 24, for the high-profile $1 million, 16-team event (www.express.co.uk). Adding to the letdown, Nick Kyrgios withdrew from his planned pairing with Naomi Osaka due to persistent knee injuries, casting doubt on his singles participation (www.tennis.com).
De Minaur and Boulter, engaged since December 2024, previously teamed up at Wimbledon 2023, reaching the second round, fueling hopes for a US Open reunion (www.sportskeeda.com). However, the US Tennis Association prioritized high-profile singles players like Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu, allocating eight wildcards and eight spots based on combined singles rankings, leaving de Minaur, the highest-ranked man excluded, and Boulter out (@TheFirstServeAU). Last year’s champions, Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, criticized the new format as a “pseudo-exhibition focused only on entertainment,” highlighting its bias against doubles specialists (www.tennisworldusa.org).
Kyrgios, sidelined by injuries for three years, announced his knee was “cooked” after a doubles loss at the Washington DC Open, prompting his withdrawal from the Osaka partnership (www.tennis.com). Gael Monfils stepped in alongside Osaka, while Venus Williams and Reilly Opelka secured a wildcard (www.tennis.com). Fans on X voiced frustration, with one post stating, “No Demon-Boulter or Kyrgios-Osaka? US Open dropped the ball” (@TennisFanAU, August 18, 2025). The event’s controversial format, with short sets and no-ad scoring, has drawn further scrutiny for sidelining traditional doubles play (www.sportskeeda.com).
De Minaur, coming off a Washington DC Open title, and Boulter, competing in Cleveland, are now focusing on their singles campaigns, with the Australian Open offering a potential stage for their partnership (www.express.co.uk). Kyrgios’s absence raises concerns about his US Open singles participation, despite a recent doubles outing with Novak Djokovic in Brisbane (www.7news.com.au). The decisions mirror strategic choices by athletes like Coco Gauff, addressing serve issues, or Luke Littler, skipping darts events for rest. As the US Open approaches, de Minaur and Boulter’s off-court chemistry, highlighted by their engagement, will drive their singles efforts, while Kyrgios faces an uncertain path forward.
