Even in Defeat, Serena Williams and Andy Murray won a mixed doubles victory



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Williams said she saw mixed recreational doubles being played around her Florida home frequently, but she seemed more pessimistic about registering another competition in overcrowded tournament calendars.

"The calendar is already so, so difficult," she said. "It looks good, it looks really exciting, but the big question is, will it work? Will one of the tournaments try his luck? May be. We will have to see. It's about trying; who knows if it will work or not?

Mark Ein, the longtime owner of the World Team Tennis team, Washington Kastles, recently bought the ATP-WTA tournament in Washington. Ein has not been able to add a mixed doubles event in time for this year's tournament, which begins July 29, but remains optimistic for future editions.

"We would like to do a mixed event as part of the D.C. tournament, and we are actively exploring it," said Ein. "It's not easy with schedules, outside Grand Slam tournaments, to make it work when you have to organize all matches in a week. Players are a little impatient to move on to the next tournament once they are out.. "

Ein cited the enthusiasm aroused by Williams and Murray, as well as the association of Venus Williams and Frances Tiafoe, as reason to invest in the format.

"I think when you watch the fans' reaction to the mixed doubles, they love to watch it," said Ein. "When you watch players play, you see the real joy and love of the game. I think that translates to the fans. This simply brings a different and very special element to an event. "

The next step for Murray is unclear. After suggesting in January that he could retire after Wimbledon, he stated that he no longer felt any pain after a second hip surgery. He won the men's double with Feliciano López at the Queen's Club last month, but he lost in the second round at Wimbledon with Pierre-Hugues Herbert. On Wednesday, despite persistent queries, Murray has not proposed a timetable for his projects, without even signing up for the United States Open in August.

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