- Revamped US Open mixed doubles draw is a talking point
- Alex de Minaur’s public plea fell on deaf ears
- Compatriot Nick Kyrgios won’t play due to injury
Aussie star Alex de Minaur’s romantic request to play mixed doubles with fiancée Katie Boulter has been shot down by tournament organisers at the US Open.
Their decision was revealed along with the news that Nick Kyrgios has pulled out of his proposed pairing with Naomi Osaka at the Grand Slam, casting doubt on his participation in the singles.
Kyrgios’ absence was revealed when the US Tennis Association released the draw for the controversially remodelled event, which also confirmed De Minaur’s plea to be partnered with with British fiancée Katie Boulter had been rejected.
Kyrgios has been troubled by injuries for three years and recently posted his knee was ‘cooked’.
World No.8 De Minaur – who asked for a wildcard with Boulter via social media – is the highest-ranked man not in the event.
This was despite several other withdrawals, which left new pairing Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper as the top seeds after both their planned partners pulled out.
British men’s world No.5 Draper was due to play with Paula Badosa and women’s world No.4 Pegula with fellow American Tommy Paul.
Aussie Alex de Minaur’s romantic request was denied by tournament organisers at the US Open (pictured, with fiancée Katie Boulter)
Compatriot Nick Kyrgios won’t play with Naomi Osaka. He has been troubled by injuries for three years and recently stated his knee was ‘cooked’
World No.8 De Minaur (pictured with Boulter), who asked for a wildcard ‘pretty pretty please’ via social media, saw his request fall on deaf ears
There could yet be further withdrawals. The event begins Tuesday (local time).
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner met in the final of the Cincinnati Open in Ohio on Monday, and Sinner quit at 0-5 down in the first set, apparently due to illness.
Italian Sinner is due to partner, in another new pairing, Katerina Siniakova.
The Czech women’s doubles No.2 has replaced Emma Navarro as partner of the men’s singles world No.1. Whether he will be recovered enough to do so remains to be seen.
That is unlikely to help de Minaur however as Boulter is currently playing in a tournament in Cleveland, unless she is knocked out early.
Spaniard Alcaraz is scheduled to play with British star Emma Raducanu.
French veteran Gael Monfils, who partnered Kyrgios in the DC Open in Washington recently, has replaced him as Osaka’s partner.
Another eye-catching duo are 45-year-old Venus Williams and compatriot Reilly Opelka.
They are among eight wildcards, with the other eight pairings selected on the basis of combined singles rankings – thus Draper and Pegula as top seeds.
The qualification policy is just one reason why the event, designed to attract attention from fans, sponsors, television and social media, is controversial.
Prizemoney has been increased to $US1 million ($A1.5 million) but only four games will be required to win a set in matches, with no-advantage scoring (four points will be needed to win a game) and 10-point match tiebreaks instead of a third set throughout.
Last year’s US Open mixed doubles champions, Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, have dismissed the new format as a ‘pseudo-exhibition focused only on entertainment and show’ that would shut out true doubles players.
Having been granted a wildcard, the duo will have the chance to make their case for doubles specialists on court with their first match against No.2 seeds Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz.
