One of the guiding forces for thinking and writing about ESPN is to always remember that the ‘E’ stands for entertainment, and entertainment is what makes this week’s mixed doubles competition at the U.S. Open a perfect appetizer for the American sports network.
The draw is oozing with boldfaced names and singles stars, a head-spinning thought as recently as a couple of years ago. Traditionalists might balk at the format changes, with sets played to four games instead of six; full-time doubles players and former greats have already criticized the USTA for devaluing a Grand Slam trophy.
But here is the reality from the broadcaster perspective: This is a television show. A mixed doubles tournament slated to pair Emma Raducanu with Carlos Alcaraz; Iga Świątek with Casper Ruud and Venus Williams with Reilly Opelka, with a $1 million prize for the winning team, has the makings of great television. Men’s singles world No. 1 Jannik Sinner will play with Kateřina Siniaková, one of the best doubles players in the world.
Linda Schulz, an ESPN vice president of production, and Brett Jackson, a coordinating producer, are the production point people for the company’s coverage of tennis. It is meeting this new format with changes of its own, including end-of-set interviews with the stars to take the temperature of each match. The interviews, conducted by 2017 U.S. Open women’s singles champion Sloane Stephens and former men’s world No. 11 Sam Querrey, will only take place during the mixed doubles event.
“In partnership with the USTA and the players, this is great access and something that we have been looking forward to for many years,” Schulz said during an interview. The end-set interview segment will be limited to one or two questions, to avoid hindering competition, and ESPN will groove in the process on the first day of the event — which comprises the first two rounds — so “that everyone — the competition, the officials, the players, the broadcast teams — can get comfortable and be on the same page,” Schulz said.
Those first two rounds air Tuesday, Aug. 19 at 11 a.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN+ and then move at 1 p.m. ET onto ESPNEWS and ESPN+. The mixed doubles semifinals and final air Wednesday, Aug. 20, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2. They will be called by Mary Jo Fernandez, John McEnroe and Patrick McEnroe, with Chris McKendry as host.
The spread of players, from Grand Slam singles champions to masters of doubles that rarely make it into the public eye, is another challenge. The casual sports fan might have heard of Alcaraz and Raducanu, but coverage must also serve the hardcore tennis fan who can identify the No. 12-ranked women’s doubles player in the world (Belgian Elise Mertens, if you are scoring at home.).
“We plan to have visuals run throughout coverage on Tuesday and Wednesday to keep the audience up to date about the format, the scoring and all of those kinds of things,” Jackson said. “It’s important for us to continually have this conversation so that when fans tune in, they understand why it’s at a faster pace of play.”
The network is also using the event to bring in some new technology. ESPN will debut what it calls a camera array system, which is similar to a railcam camera without the rail. The 4K cameras will be located on the east, north and south sides of the net and should help give viewers a better sense of the speed of players.
“They work simultaneously to provide an image that goes side to side,” Schulz said. “It was just recently approved for use by the USTA and we’re placing it on the sidelines in Ashe [Stadium]. It will give viewers side to side angles and also provide slow-mo replay looks during our coverage.”
There will also be the Mindfly camera, which has been used in the NHL and Frozen Four but never at the U.S. Open. The camera is a wearable that enables fans to experience the game from the point of view of any player.
But it’s the on-court interviews conducted by Querrey and Stephens that have major implications for tennis viewers in the U.S. The NFL had more in-uniform interviews from players and more in-game coaches interviews over the past two years, as part of a review between the league and its media rights holders to enhance the game content. If the mixed doubles end-set interviews get good feedback from all parties, especially the players, Schulz said she could see it extending to other tournaments. ESPN has interviewed players within a match at the U.S. Open a handful of times, but not for at least a decade, she said.
“When we approach these access opportunities, it is with the hope that it works into future competition,” Schulz said. “You take one step forward with access and if it works and it’s something that brings the fan closer to what’s going on, then you want to take another step forward soon.”
The staging of the event is a step forward of its own, even if it has been met with criticism within the tennis world. The first Grand Slam trophy of the tournament will be awarded before the singles draws even commence. They start Sunday Aug. 24, extending them to 15 days for the first time and putting the U.S. Open on an equal footing with the Australian and French Opens. Wimbledon is still on a Monday start, with no immediate appetite for change.
“Starting our coverage with a championship is very exciting,” said Schulz. “We’re going to bring fans top competition with the biggest stars of the sport right at the beginning of our coverage. That’s caused us to change when our announcers come to New York as well as what we prepared technology-wise in order to be ready to handle a championship right out of the gate. I hesitate to use the word challenge because in the long run, it is way too big an opportunity than a challenge.”
(Photo of Chris Eubanks interviewing Jannik Sinner: Jamie Squire / Getty Images)
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