RISING women’s star Alex Eala, Felix Auger-Aliassime, married couple Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils, and two-time defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori headline the wild-card entries into the US Open mixed doubles tournament, the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) announced Monday (Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2026, PH time).
The USTA set 11 of the 16 teams that will compete in the championship, with six teams qualifying directly based on their combined rankings and five receiving wild cards into the main draw, according to the Associated Press (AP).
Topping the direct-entry list is the blockbuster pairing of world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and 24-time men’s Grand Slam singles champion Novak Djokovic, who boast the lowest combined singles ranking of any team in the field.
Also qualifying directly, in order of their combined rankings, are Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz, Diana Shnaider and Daniil Medvedev, Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud — last year’s runners-up — Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli, and Amanda Anisimova and Learner Tien.
The wild cards awarded Monday went to the teams of Leylah Fernandez and Frances Tiafoe, and Taylor Townsend and Alexander Zverev, the AP reported.
The first round and quarterfinals are scheduled for Aug. 25, with the semifinals and final set for Aug. 26. All matches will be played in either Arthur Ashe Stadium or Louis Armstrong Stadium, the tournament’s two largest venues.
Three remaining wild-card spots are yet to be announced, while the final two teams in the two-day main draw will earn their places through an eight-team qualifying tournament scheduled for Aug. 24.
The teams given spots in the qualifying tournament on Monday include Katerina Siniakova and Henry Patten, Gabriela Dabrowski and Harri Heliovaara, Luisa Stefani and Neal Skupski, Aleksandra Krunic and Mate Pavic, Jelena Ostapenko and Marcelo Arevalo, and Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool. Two more teams will receive wild cards into the qualifying event.
Eala, 21, captured her first career title two weeks ago at the DC Open, becoming the first player from the Philippines to win a WTA Tour event. Her recent success has drawn large crowds to her matches, the AP noted.
At the opposite end of the career spectrum, popular Frenchman Monfils has announced he plans to retire after this season.
Errani and Vavassori won the mixed doubles title in New York in 2024, but the Italian duo was uncertain they would even get the chance to defend it after the USTA revamped the event last year in an effort to attract top singles players who had long avoided mixed doubles.
They were eventually granted a wild card, becoming the only traditional doubles team in the event, and went on to beat Swiatek and Ruud in last year’s final, according to AP. / LBG
