The most anticipated partnership of summer tennis might be over before it even begins. Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz, who captured fans’ attention when they were announced as wild card entries for the US Open mixed doubles, could be forced to withdraw from the event.
The British star and Spanish champion may not get the chance to showcase their combined talents on court due to Alcaraz’s Cincinnati Open run.
Match Scheduling Creates Major Problem for Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz
The Cincinnati Open schedule has created a massive problem for top players participating in the US Open mixed doubles event. The tournament finals are set for Monday, August 18, while the first round of the mixed doubles begins just one day later on Tuesday, August 19. This tight turnaround leaves players with almost no time to travel from Ohio to New York and prepare for the revamped tournament.
Cincinnati final on Monday, US Open Mixed Doubles R1 on Tuesday.
I guess Alcaraz-Raducanu is very much *off*.
Sinner shouldn’t play either. Zverev doubtful given what we just watched…
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) August 17, 2025
Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner both reached the Cincinnati Open final, making their participation in the US Open mixed doubles extremely doubtful. The one-day gap between events has forced tournament organizers and players to make difficult choices about their schedules.
World No. 4 Jessica Pegula voiced strong concerns about the compressed timeline. She noted how the two-week format is “crushing a lot of the players a little bit” and questioned whether the scheduling conflicts were properly considered. The American player emphasized that better communication between organizers and players could have prevented these issues.
Cincinnati Stars Face Impossible Choices for US Open Mixed Doubles
Alcaraz, who beat Alexander Zverev to reach the final, is partnered with Emma Raducanu for the mixed doubles event. Meanwhile, Jannik Sinner was originally set to team up with Emma Navarro, who has since withdrawn to play in Monterrey.
Zverev, who lost to Alcaraz in the semifinals while dealing with illness, is paired with Belinda Bencic. The German player’s physical condition after his Cincinnati defeat raises additional questions about his availability for the mixed doubles tournament.
US Open Mixed Doubles Championship update: pic.twitter.com/Uo26UZ0oKp
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 15, 2025
Three of the four Cincinnati women’s semifinalists are set to compete in the US Open mixed doubles. Jasmine Paolini is set to partner with Lorenzo Musetti in the mixed doubles event, entering the draw after other teams withdrew. The 29-year-old is currently competing in both singles and doubles at Cincinnati, making her schedule even more demanding.
Iga Świątek, who will take on Elena Rybakina in the Cincinnati Open semifinals, is partnered with Casper Ruud for the mixed doubles, while the Kazakh will team up with Taylor Fritz. Both players face the same timeline, with one of them reaching the final in Ohio.