Indian tennis ace Rohan Bopanna has hit out at the recently announced rule changes related to the US Open mixed doubles event, calling it a direct blow to the future of the sport in the country.
On Monday, the United States Tennis Association (USTA) announced that the mixed doubles event at Flushing Meadows would take place during the Fan Week (the week prior to the start of the main draw). This includes an entry list of 16 teams rather than 32 in previous years. Eight of those teams would be accepted on the basis of their combined singles rankings and eight would be determined via wildcards. Besides that, the tournament would also offer a shortened scoring format, more prominent television coverage and a prize money cheque of $1 million to the winners.
