The thought of the top men’s and women’s singles players teaming up is one that has often intrigued tennis fans around the world.

The U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) is hiring private jets at will; ESPN is doing interviews between sets and, until the final, the sets are first to four games, not six. Stars of doubles say it devalues a Grand Slam trophy and their chosen discipline;

The U.S. Open's experiment to bring a bigger spotlight to the mixed doubles kicks off on Tuesday, as the competition gets its own place on the calendar and organisers lure in fans with partnerships made up of top singles players.