ESPN experimenting with end-of-set interviews during US Open mixed doubles

ESPN and the United States Tennis Association agreed to an extension to keep the US Open broadcast there through 2037. At the time, the Worldwide Leader promoted several changes and improvements, including expanded Fan Week coverage, daily live coverage on ESPN2, and expanded streaming reach.

As this week’s mixed doubles competition at the 2025 US Open approaches, featuring star-studded pairings and record prize money, ESPN is hoping to elevate the tournament even further with some unique in-game television moments.

Chief among those format changes will be end-of-set interviews with players to check in with them during matches and potentially suss out their concerns, frustrations, and plans. The interviews will be conducted by 2017 U.S. Open women’s singles champion Sloane Stephens and former men’s player Sam Querrey.

“In partnership with the USTA and the players, this is great access and something that we have been looking forward to for many years,” Linda Schulz, an ESPN vice president of production, told The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch. 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 also told Deitsch that if the feedback on the end-set interviews is positive, it could be extended to other tournaments.

In-game interviews were once verboten but have recently become commonplace in the NFL, NBA, and MLB, with the latter of which sees players getting interviewed while playing.

ESPN is also bringing a “camera array system” to the tournament, which Deitsch describes as being similiar to a railcam camera, just without the rail. 4K cameras will be placed at the east, north, and south sides of the net to give TV audiences a better sense of the speed of action on the court. They will also have wearable Mindfly cameras on certain players to provide a point-of-view angle.