Towards the end of the frantic, tension-filled mixed doubles tussle between Poland and Norway at the United Cup in Sydney, Casper Ruud took a deep breath as he stood on top of the baseline alongside his partner Ulrikke Eikeri and prepared to serve. With just a narrow 4-3 lead in the third set match tie-break, the following minutes would determine Norway’s fate in the competition.

Ruud fired down a heavy topspin serve and then he traded forceful crosscourt groundstrokes with Poland’s Jan Zielinski from the left side of the court. But then, all of a sudden, his focus shifted. Ruud sharply changed directions, instead opting to hammer forehands down the line towards Iga Swiatek on the baseline in an attempt to overpower her and break her down. Not only did Swiatek firmly hold her ground, though, she maintained immaculate depth under pressure and methodically wrestled the initiative back from Ruud. By the end of the point, it was Swiatek who pounced on a short backhand from Ruud and curled a crosscourt forehand winner past Eikeri at the net.

That spectacular point proved to be a noteworthy pattern late in that match as the two top singles players duelled from the baseline. Ruud won their following exchange, but then on perhaps the most important point of the match at 7-8, Swiatek again held firm against Ruud. Poland would win the final three points of the match to close out the tie. It was a perfect example of the joy and excitement of mixed doubles, a format rarely played by top players but one that always delivers when they do.

Until three years ago, top players only ever played mixed doubles once every four years at the Olympics plus as a hit and giggle at the popular Hopman Cup exhibition event. The format has received a new lease of life since the inauguration of the United Cup, tennis’s first official mixed-team event, which took the Hopman Cup’s spot in the calendar in 2022. Now in its third year, the event seems to be progressing well and the significant points and prize money on offer have attracted a healthy field of top players. This year’s edition has undoubtedly been the most competitive and entertaining yet.

Across sport, mixed team events are enjoying a moment. One of the most unforgettable spectacles of the Olympics last year was Femke Bol’s incredible comeback to win gold for the Netherlands in the athletics 4x400m mixed relay, an event that has integrated well. World Athletics has since announced its intention to introduce a mixed relay to its flagship 100m event at the world championships from 2026. In swimming and triathlon, mixed relays are now popular and entertaining fixtures in the major competitions.

Still, none of those other mixed-gender formats compare to mixed doubles in tennis. While there is naturally a massive gulf in strength and speed, and it can also be difficult for the WTA players to track the stronger men’s serves, the female players have shown that they can stand their ground in mixed doubles, impose themselves in the matches and even outperform their male counterparts. The top players in particular all trust that they can hold their ground from the baseline and make the difference on decisive points.

As the top female players have embraced mixed doubles, it has also been enjoyable to see how they relish the challenge of holding their own. Coco Gauff, Leylah Fernandez and Karolina Muchova were all impressive this week, while Swiatek has been brilliant almost every time she has played mixed doubles. Last year, she was even better. “It was great – especially when it worked,” she said last year, smiling as she described the feeling of returning the male players’ serves. “I just could see that they were so annoyed sometimes. I’m sorry, but I really had fun.”

Despite how it is consistently spurned by top players, doubles is an excellent game in all formats. However, men’s doubles at its worst can be too serve-dominant. Women’s doubles is enjoying a great era but can conversely feel too lightweight when there are no top singles players on-court. Mixed doubles is dynamic, intense and also chaotic. It is also a fascinating sight from the male players’ perspective. Their job is not merely to impose themselves on the games, they have to facilitate their partner so that both players can thrive.

As they shook hands at the net following Poland’s win, Swiatek made a point of telling Ruud that she really enjoyed playing against him and particularly his forehand, a shot she has always admired. It is a rare treat for players and the fans alike to see top male and female players across the net from each other.

In a perfect world, if tennis enjoyed healthy governance and the leaders of the sport were determined to optimise the calendar, perhaps there might be room for even more mixed doubles at the highest level, such as a mixed-gender Laver Cup. But the calendar is congested and doubles is already fighting a losing battle in an era where most top players prioritise singles above all.

The best outcome that mixed doubles enthusiasts can hope for is that the United Cup will continue to grow and that it will eventually firmly embed itself in the calendar as a tournament that all top players, men and women, want to be part of each year.