The excitement surrounding the newly reimagined US Open mixed doubles event may face a setback as tennis stars Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner could be forced to withdraw. The revamped format moves the mixed doubles to the week before the main singles draw, aiming to give players more time to showcase their doubles skills before focusing on their primary singles campaigns.
High-profile pairings were already generating buzz — Alcaraz teaming up with British star Emma Raducanu, and Sinner joining forces with American Emma Navarro. World No. 1 Iga Swiatek was also set to compete alongside Casper Ruud. However, the scheduling clash with the Cincinnati Masters could derail these plans.
This year, the Cincinnati Masters final is scheduled for Monday, August 18, just two days before the start of the mixed doubles competition in New York on Wednesday. That leaves minimal rest for players advancing deep into the Cincinnati tournament. With the US Open singles starting on August 25, top players aiming for the title might decide to prioritize recovery over doubles competition.
Both Sinner and Alcaraz are currently in the latter stages of Cincinnati — Sinner has already booked his place in the semifinals, while Alcaraz is set to play his quarterfinal match. If they face each other in the Cincinnati final, the short turnaround could make it physically demanding to compete in both events.
Swiatek faces a similar challenge, especially with rivals Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff already skipping the mixed doubles for additional rest and preparation. Sabalenka withdrew after her original partner Grigor Dimitrov was sidelined with injury, and Gauff opted out due to pre-slam commitments.
With the Cincinnati results and player recovery plans still unfolding, the much-anticipated US Open mixed doubles event could lose some of its biggest names before it even begins.