Carlos Alcaraz Slammed for Embarrassing US Open Mixed Doubles Comments

Carlos Alcaraz is about to chase his first Grand Slam trophy outside of singles tennis. But his attitude about the whole thing has really ticked off a fellow pro.

The 22-year-old Spaniard is already crushing it in singles. He’s got five Grand Slam titles under his belt – one US Open, two French Opens, and two Wimbledon championships.

But here’s the thing about Alcaraz and doubles: he’s barely played it.

That’s pretty normal these days. Most top singles players just don’t bother with doubles anymore. It’s a completely different world from a couple decades ago, when legends like John McEnroe and Martina Navratilova dominated both singles and doubles.

A New Kind of Mixed Doubles

Alcaraz has never even stepped onto a doubles court at a Grand Slam. That’s about to change at this year’s US Open, where he’s signed up for mixed doubles.

The catch? This isn’t your typical Grand Slam doubles event.

The US Open completely revamped their mixed doubles format. Instead of playing during the main tournament, it’s happening during US Open Fan Week – that’s the week before the real action starts.

Think of Fan Week as the tournament’s warm-up party. They run qualifying matches and put on exhibitions to get tennis fans excited. This year, mixed doubles got moved into that mix.

Alcaraz will partner with Emma Raducanu for what’s shaping up to be a pretty incredible lineup. We’re talking Novak Djokovic, Aryna Sabalenka, and Jannik Sinner all joining the party.

When Alcaraz talked about signing up, he seemed genuinely pumped about the new format.

"I’m super excited about it. I think it’s going to be great. It was an amazing idea for the tournament. I will try to bring my doubles skills. We will try to win, but obviously it’s going to be really, really fun."

Not Everyone’s Happy

Those comments might sound perfectly reasonable to most people. But they absolutely set off Kristina Mladenovic.

The French player knows a thing or two about doubles – she’s the former World No. 1 in the category.

Mladenovic didn’t hold back when she spoke to Eurosport about hearing top players call this a "fun event."

For her, that’s not how you should ever talk about a Grand Slam tournament, even if it’s mixed doubles.

"It’s obvious that people would rather see Carlos Alcaraz play than me. But the form is a bit shocking. The moral, once again, is that Grand Slams really do what they want."

She really went after the whole approach:

"The communication alone is bad. When you hear participants say they’re going to have fun while preparing for the US Open, it’s embarrassing. A Grand Slam is neither preparation nor fun. It’s years of sacrifice. When you’re little, you dream of winning one, even in doubles. You don’t want to see your sport turn into a gigantic spectacle, even if it will indeed bring in a lot of money."

The Business Side

Mladenovic isn’t the only doubles specialist who’s frustrated by this move. She’s got six doubles Grand Slam titles and three mixed doubles Grand Slam wins, so this hits close to home.

But she also gets the business reality here.

"In terms of business strategy, it’s a brilliant idea. It guarantees the US Open a much more lucrative third week in terms of ticket sales, on-site consumption and, I imagine, TV rights. But from a sporting point of view, it’s problematic because it touches on the essence of tennis."

Her biggest issue? The US Open is calling this a legitimate Grand Slam event:

"A Grand Slam is a competition steeped in history, in singles and doubles. And now, all of a sudden, the doubles become a super exhibition without anyone or anything having a say. There’s no problem putting on such an event, but above all, don’t call it a Grand Slam!"

All Eyes on New York

This whole controversy means the mixed doubles event is going to be under intense scrutiny this year.

Fan reaction will definitely influence whether the US Open sticks with this format going forward. You can bet the other three Grand Slams – Australian Open, Roland Garros, and Wimbledon – will be watching closely too.

The real question is whether this new approach brings in more tennis fans or ends up cheapening what doubles players have worked their whole careers to achieve.

Either way, it’s going to make for some pretty interesting drama before Alcaraz and company even step onto the court.