Lorenzo Musetti vs. Anna Kalinskaya: A Sensational Twist
A last-minute twist less than ten days before the registration deadline for the 2026 US Open mixed doubles tournament: Lorenzo Musetti and Anna Kalinskaya, who had been announced as one of the competing pairs in recent days by the tournament’s official channels, have decided to back out. Speaking with Ubitennis, the Carrara-born tennis player revealed the change of plans, announcing Marta Kostyuk as his new partner at Flushing Meadows in place of the Moscow-based athlete, Jannik Sinner’s ex-girlfriend.
Until just a few hours ago, the Musetti–Kalinskaya pairing seemed certain. The Carrara native, fresh off a quarterfinal appearance in Washington and finally recovered from his physical ailments, had reached an agreement with the Moscow-based player, who was also on the mend after withdrawing from Berlin and having a strong run in the U.S. capital.
The change of plans came after Montreal. Musetti explained that he will no longer play with Kalinskaya but with Kostyuk, though he avoided going into details about the decision: a development that shifts the balance of the draw, especially since the combined ranking of the pairs will determine direct entry into the top six spots of the main draw.
In fact, there is still time for the mixed doubles field to change even further: entries, in fact, will close on August 17, the date on which tournament organizers will finalize the sixteen pairs in the main draw: six will qualify via the combined ranking, eight will receive wild cards, and two will enter the draw after the qualifying rounds to be held on August 24.
As was the case in 2025, the mixed doubles tournament at the US Open will follow a format designed not to take up time during the main weeks of the tournament, which are dedicated to singles and traditional doubles: the event will be held over a 48-hour period, on August 25 and 26, with best-of-three-set matches in which the first two sets are won by 4 games rather than 6 (with a “killer point” at 40-40 and a tiebreak at 4‑4) and a 10-point super tiebreak in place of the third set. The final will consist of a 6-game set, with a tiebreak at 6‑6, again featuring a “killer point” and a super tiebreak in place of the third set.
