The box score on day zero is blank, but the curtain is already up. Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka are set to play mixed doubles at the US Open, a first wave that reads like a poster. Sky Sports and BBC Sport both flag the headliners, with Elena Rybakina joining Taylor Fritz and Iga Swiatek reuniting with Casper Ruud. BBC adds Naomi Osaka with Kei Nishikori and Jack Draper with Jessica Pegula. Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are not entered at this stage, which both outlets note.

For Indian tennis watchers who surf for star wattage, this is the stress test. The rebooted mixed doubles asks a blunt question with complicated economics behind it. If you seed an event with megastars, do casual fans show up, click in, and care.

BBC reports the event was controversially revamped in 2025 into a two-day, prime-time friendly showcase with shorter scoring in early rounds. It also reports that organisers have dangled appearance fees up to 500,000 dollars per player, citing sources, to stack the field. Last year’s reimagined edition was a money-spinner per the BBC, with Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori winning and defending a title that used to live in the margins.

The calendar still hums with intrigue. BBC says the two-day event starts on 25 August, while Sky Sports promotes US Open coverage from 30 August. What is certain is the casting. Djokovic brings 24 majors and a long New York history, Sabalenka arrives as world No. 1, and together they have six singles titles at Arthur Ashe, as Sky notes. That is a lot of gravity for a discipline that once floated beyond the spotlight.

There are caveats. BBC stresses that early announcements do not guarantee final line-ups, and Serena Williams does not yet feature after a recent knee issue. Doubles specialists like Errani and Vavassori are set to return, still carrying the question that hovers over this made-for-primetime experiment.

Can tennis sell a duet without shortchanging the song.