Raducanu and Draper face each other in US Open doubles

4 hours ago 1

A split image of Emma Raducanu on hte left and Jack Draper on the right

Lorraine McKenna

BBC Sport Journalist

British number ones Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper will face each other in this week's new-look US Open mixed doubles event in New York.

Raducanu, 22, is partnering five-time Grand Slam winner Carlos Alcaraz, while Draper, 23, will play with American Jessica Pegula after their original partners, Tommy Paul and Paula Badosa, both withdrew.

Organisers were heavily criticised in February after announcing that the mixed doubles competition would be a standalone event on 19-20 August - before the singles tournament begins on 24 August.

The 16 pairs involved will compete for $1m (£749,077) at Flushing Meadows.

Raducanu, who won the US Open title in 2021, and Spaniard Alcaraz have been handed a wildcard entry for the two-day tournament.

Before the event, Alcaraz, 22, is taking on world number one Jannik Sinner for the fourth time this season, in the final of the Cincinnati Open in Ohio on Monday.

Italian Sinner, 24, who is also a wildcard entrant, has been re-paired with Czech Katerina Siniakova after his partner, American Emma Navarro, withdrew.

Draper and Pegula, meanwhile, have qualified directly and have been given the top seeding, because both players are inside the top five in the singles rankings.

The first two rounds will take place on Tuesday and the semi-finals and final will be played on Wednesday.

Just four games will be required to win a set in matches before the final, with no-advantage scoring (four points will be needed to win a game) and 10-point match tie-breaks instead of a third set throughout.