Newly crowned Wimbledon mixed doubles champion Sem Verbeek has declared his "heart is bleeding" following the US Open's controversial decision to transform its mixed doubles competition into a standalone event.
The Dutch player's emotional response came after his triumph alongside Katerina Siniakova at SW19, where they defeated Britain's Joe Salisbury and Brazil's Luisa Stefani 7-6 7-6 on Centre Court.
The United States Tennis Association announced earlier this year that the mixed doubles tournament would be held before the main hard-court Grand Slam begins, a move they called "bold and revolutionary".
This new format change effectively excludes most doubles specialists from participating, preventing Verbeek and Siniakova from defending their partnership at Flushing Meadows.
Newly crowned Wimbledon mixed doubles champion Sem Verbeek has declared his "heart is bleeding" following the US Open's controversial decision to transform its mixed doubles competition into a standalone event
PA
The USTA hopes the new format will attract more high-profile singles players to the competition, with several star partnerships already confirmed.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz will team up with British number one Emma Raducanu, whilst Novak Djokovic, Jannik Sinner and Naomi Osaka have all expressed their desire to participate.
Yet Verbeek isn't sold and admitted his 'heart is bleeding'.
"As two athletes that would love to play it, it’s a shame to obviously know that we can’t," he said.
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Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu will play together in the mixed doubles of the US Open
GETTY"I’m not going to actively root against it for it not to be a success.
"The positive I can think of is that there’s going to be more people that can see the top single stars earlier in the tournament when they are maybe a bit more accessible to the public.
"But as a doubles athlete, my heart is bleeding."
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USTA chief Lew Sheer has defended the upcoming change.
"Seeing the teams that have already put their names on the entry list makes us all incredibly excited," said Sherr.
"It shows that the players are behind what we are trying to do, and we know that the fans will love it."
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The organisation believes the change will make top singles stars more accessible to the public earlier in the tournament.
Despite the star-studded entry list, the format change has sparked fierce criticism from doubles specialists who feel marginalised by the decision.
Verbeek's partner Siniakova, the world number one in women's doubles, told BBC Sport: "It's a shame they decided to do it. I think it's a marketing step, but they are taking [away the] chance of doubles players."
Sam Verbeek was delighted after winning the mixed doubles of Wimbledon
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The defending US Open mixed doubles champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori issued a scathing statement, calling the move a "profound injustice".
"Making decisions just following the logic of profit is profoundly wrong in some situations," the pair said, describing the new tournament as "a pseudo-exhibition focused only on entertainment and show".
The opposition extends beyond the defending champions, with French tennis star Kristina Mladenovic, who has won multiple Grand Slam doubles titles, describing the new format as "terribly shocking".