Eight US Open fan-favorites played under the lights in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday night in the inaugural Mixed Madness presented by IHG Hotels and Resorts. The dynamic duos of Coco Gauff and Ben Shelton, Paula Badosa and Stefanos Tsitsipas, Amanda Anisimova and Taylor Fritz, and Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios faced off in the hopes of winning $250,000 in prize money.
The players’ energy was contagious, as the crowd roared and cheered while the players traded jokes and groundstrokes during their one-set matches. Badosa and Tsitsipas defeated Gauff and Shelton in their semifinal, while Anisimova and Fritz beat Osaka and Kyrgios to reach the final. The power couple known as “Tsitsidosa” won the inaugural Mixed Madness by edging out the All-American duo of Anisimova and Fritz in the trophy round.
Tsitsipas called the event “one of the coolest date nights I could’ve asked for,” and said he was “super grateful we were able to produce some good tennis in combination with having fun and getting to share that with that special person.”
The fans also won tonight, as Badosa and Tsitsipas had exciting news to share after they were crowned the champions: The pair will be playing in the mixed doubles draw, which will be revealed on Aug. 25.
Regardless of the outcome, a good time was had by all who participated.
“I’m so happy I got to perform on this court, it’s my favorite court of any tournament,” Anisimova said. “It was a great environment and I had fun tonight.”
A portion of proceeds from ticket sales will go to the USTA Foundation, the national philanthropic arm of the USTA. The USTA Foundation, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2024, provides tennis and educational opportunities to children through the organization’s National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL) network, sport-based development programs for under-served youth around the country.
Check out some of the best photos from Mixed Madness.
