Fears grow over Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz partnership after US Open change
There are concerns that Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu could become the latest pair to withdraw from playing mixed doubles at the US Open. The Grand Slam has changed the format of the event this year to encourage high profile entrants, but a few teams have already pulled out.
The United States Tennis Association has brought in a new two-day format that will take place the week before the singles draw and see the winners bank $1million. Organisers will give eight entrants a place in the tournament based on their combined singles rankings, with eight others granted wildcards.
The revamped format attracted some eye-catching pairings, including world No.1s Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka, who are playing with Emma Navarro and Grigor Dimitrov respectively. Meanwhile, Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek is down to play with Casper Ruud and Novak Djokovic with Olga Danilovic.
However, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Paula Badosa have withdrawn amid rumours of a split in their relationship, while Jack Draper and Zheng Qinwen have also pulled out of the event which will take place on August 19-20.
The Sun now reports that Alcaraz and Raducanu could follow suit so they can fully focus on the singles at Flushing Meadows.
Raducanu famously ditched Andy Murray at Wimbledon in 2024 for the same reason – and the pairing are likely relying on a wildcard to compete anyway, given Raducanu's singles ranking of 46th in the world might not be high enough to qualify automatically.
Their withdrawal is also made more likely by the fact that Alcaraz has just skipped the Canadian Open to manage a niggle following his defeat in the final at Wimbledon. "I have small muscle issues and I need to recover physically and mentally for what comes next,' he wrote.
It would be a shame, given the excitement around the pairing, which Alcaraz announced during Queen's. 'She took a while,' he said of Raducanu's response to his proposition of the pairing. 'No, not that much…But obviously she had to ask, and she had to think a little bit. But it wasn't immediate, so…'
Asked about the delay in making a decision, Raducanu then joked: "Gotta keep 'em on their toes. I mean, of course, I had to ask my team if they wanted me to play.
"But for me, when he asked me, I was going to say yes, I just had to kind of go through the formality of asking my coach, so I didn't just make the decision."
Alcaraz added: 'She's going to be the boss. The US Open came to us and gave us the opportunity to play mixed doubles. I'm super excited about it, it's going to be great, it was an amazing idea from the tournament."
"I've known Emma since a long time ago – I have a really good relationship with her so it's going to be interesting. We are going to enjoy for sure, I'll try to put my doubles skills on and we'll try to win.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Scottie Scheffler's classy gesture to Bryson DeChambeau and PGA Tour rival on private jet
Scottie Scheffler won The Open Championship by four shots on Sunday, but his celebrations were typically understated, and he even had a thought for rival Bryson DeChambeau Scottie Scheffler once again showcased his trademark class and humility after securing victory at The Open. The 29-year-old golfer claimed his fourth major title at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, winning by an impressive four-shot margin. It marked a strong rebound from an underwhelming performance at last month's US Open. But instead of indulging in flashy celebrations or soaking up media attention, Scheffler opted for a more modest acknowledgment of his win, true to his nature. Remarkably, he even paused post-round festivities to be considerate of fellow competitors Bryson DeChambeau and Tony Finau, with whom he was sharing a return flight to the States. "I did not bring it [the Claret Jug] on the plane," Scheffler explained on the Pardon My Take podcast. "It went underneath the plane. We were with Bryson [DeChambeau] and Tony Finau, so it didn't really feel right for me to bring the trophy on the plane." When asked if he'd followed tradition by drinking from the famed trophy, Scheffler said: "I haven't drunk anything out of the Claret Jug yet. We have a celebration planned this Friday with a bunch of our friends here at home, so that will be the time to celebrate." His celebration was brief, as he had to travel to New York for the premiere of Happy Gilmore 2. In the film, Scheffler makes a brief appearance as a fictional version of himself, along with cameos from DeChambeau, Rory McIlroy, and Brooks Koepka. "We got done late Sunday night," he said. "We actually had to catch a flight to New York to get to the Happy Gilmore [2] premiere. We had planned on that all along, everything was scheduled, we had to get out of town pretty quick so we didn't have much time to celebrate." This modest reaction to such a significant win reflects the core of Scheffler's personality - he regularly chooses humility and kindness over attention. Following his 2022 Masters win - his first major - Scheffler was quick to shift the spotlight to those who supported him, like his caddie Ted Scott and his loved ones, rather than relishing in the personal acclaim. "I don't think I'd be here without them," he remarked during a post-round interview, placing emphasis on his team rather than himself. Likewise, after his 2023 Players Championship triumph, Scheffler's character was evident again as he spoke about the level of competition rather than his own dominance. He acknowledged his fellow contenders by saying: "The leaderboard was stacked with so many great players. It's an honour to compete against them." These examples underscore the kind of athlete Scheffler is - one who puts relationships, gratitude, and sportsmanship above accolades. Whether it's going out of his way to ensure a peer feels respected or lifting up those around him, his integrity outshines any piece of hardware.
Metro
5 hours ago
- Metro
Emma Raducanu makes worrying comment ahead of Washington Open semi-final clash
Emma Raducanu has made a worrying admission ahead of her semi-final clash against Anna Kalinskaya at the Washington Open on Saturday. The British tennis star has reached the last four at a WTA Tour event for the first time this year and has been in brilliant form at the American tournament. Raducanu stunned seventh-seed Marta Kostyuk before knocking out four-time major champion Naomi Osaka and former world No.3 Maria Sakkari. Next up is a showdown with Russia's Kalinskaya – and ahead of that match – Raducanu admits she is 'really struggling' with the heat in Washington. Temperatures reached 36 degrees during Raducanu's 6-4 7-5 win over Sakkari on Friday, with the Briton saying the conditions felt like 'you have just opened an oven and it just stayed open and your head is in there'. Raducanu, looking to reach her first WTA Tour final since winning the US Open four years ago, said in her press conference: 'I would like to say I'm pretty good in the heat, for the most part, but I was really struggling today. 'It was one of the toughest matches conditions-wise I have ever played in. Those points in the second set, I was getting a bit wobbly. I'm just happy I could close it out and it was two sets.' Raducanu had her vitals checked in a medical timeout late into the second set during her win over Sakkari. The 22-year-old had only just broken Sakkari's serve when the doctor was called onto the court. 'It was brutal today,' Raducanu added. 'Thank you to everyone for coming out and sitting through the heat. 'It's incredibly difficult playing, but actually, when I've sat and watched matches, in the heat when you're not moving, it's even harder. 'It's for sure physical, because if you don't have the abilities then your body will fail you. But at a certain point, it then becomes mental. 'I knew after the first or second game, it was such a long match, the first set was over an hour. 'It is mental and you just have to enjoy suffering as bad as that sounds, you just know you have to leave it all out on the court until you probably drop. More Trending 'I'm not feeling the best right now, so I just need to go and speak to the doctors.' The two players are set to lock horns around 9pm UK time today (Saturday, July 26) with the clash being shown live on Sky Sports Tennis. Sky Sports subscribers can also stream the match online via the Sky Sports website and app. MORE: Who's next for Oleksandr Usyk? Joseph Parker could get his shot but a third fight with Tyson Fury cannot be ruled out MORE: 'I'm sorry?' – Cameron Norrie surprised by 'disgusting' Emma Raducanu question during Wimbledon press conference MORE: Wimbledon respond to Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper complaints over key change
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 'open to reuniting with former Manchester United star' as the Besiktas boss considers handing the 24-year-old a career lifeline
Besiktas manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is reportedly debating a move for a former Manchester United star. After a glittering playing career at Old Trafford that saw him etch his name in club folklore, Solskjaer went on to spent nearly three years in the hot seat at Old Trafford as manager between 2018 and 2021. In January, Solskjaer took his first managerial position since being sacked by United and led Besiktas to a fourth-place finish in the Turkish Super Lig. And as he prepares for his first full campaign in charge of the Black Eagles, Solskjaer is said to be eyeing a former Man United player to help shore up his defence. According to a report from The Sun, the Norwegian is open to a move for United academy graduate and former England youth international, Brandon Williams. Williams thrived under Solskjaer's leadership at Old Trafford, and was handed his senior debut by the Champions League winner in September 2019. The 24-year-old would go on to make 36 appearances in all competitions in what appeared to a breakout campaign for the latest Carrington graduate tipped for success in the game. However, Williams subsequently found first team opportunities difficult to come by and was sent out on loan with spells East Anglia with both Norwich and Ipswich. During the latter of the two, Williams fell out of favour at a promotion-chasing Tractor Boys side under then-boss Kieran McKenna as his off-field problems began to come to the fore. In May Williams was handed a 14-month suspended jail sentence for dangerous driving. The defender had been 'driving erratically' in his Audi A3 before hitting a Ford Fiesta and careering into the central reservation of the A34 in Cheshire at almost 100mph. Williams admitted he had been trying to show off to a female passenger who was sitting next to him, and a witness is said to have filmed him with a balloon by his mouth. Prosecutors said it was 'fortunate' nobody was seriously injured or killed. Judge Lamb, sitting in the Chester Crown Court, told Williams 'there was no reason for driving in the way you did' but said there was 'strong personal mitigation' after committing the offence at a time of depression. Williams, who had been partying shortly before the crash, was told he had been 'stupid' and earned 'too much too soon'.
