A mixed doubles pairing featuring Nick Kyrgios and Naomi Osaka looks like box office, and the love-doubles of Alex de Minaur and Katie Boulter is another to catch the eye.
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See subscription optionsNeither duo, however, has been accepted by US Open organisers for their revamped mixed doubles format.
Venus Williams, however, is in, the 45-year-old fresh from last week's comeback after a year off the circuit, along with a pairing sure to reignite gossip in the British tabloids: Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz.
The remodelled 16-team mixed doubles is designed to attract attention of fans, sponsors, television and social media. Taking place in the Fan Week ahead of the main US Open it has a short format and prize money lifted to a $US 1 million ($A1.5m).
Eight pairs qualify on the strength of their combined singles rankings, the other eight are given wildcards by the US Tennis Association. The qualifiers and six of the wildcards were announced on Tuesday.
Which means two slots remain open - offering hope to Kyrgios, de Minaur and their partners.
One could actually be on hold for Kyrgios to confirm his fitness. After his comeback playing doubles with Gael Monfils at the DC Open in Washington last week he posted on social media his knee was "cooked", but he did complete the match.
Another may be being kept open for women's world No.1 Aryna Sabalenka, who was partnered with Grigor Dimitrov - but the Bulgarian sustained a pectoral muscle injury while leading eventual winner Jannik Sinner by two sets to love at Wimbledon.
Other contenders are Italian duo Jasmine Paolini (9) and Lorenzo Musetti (10), who were the odd pair out of the three whose combined ranking was 19; Katerina Siniakova and Marcelo Arevalo, who were the women's and men's doubles No.1s until this week when Tayor Townsend usurped Siniakova; or Canadian Olympic bronze medallists Gaby Dabrowski and Felix Auger-Aliassime.
DC Open singles winner De MInaur (8) is the highest ranked man not in the event.
Last year's US Open mixed doubles champions, Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, who dismissed the new format as a "pseudo-exhibition focused only on entertainment and show" that would shut out true doubles players, have been given a wildcard.
So has Novak Djokovic partnering Olga Danilovic.
Briton Jack Draper, who was going to play alongside Zheng Qinwen, now partners Paula Badosa, who was going to play with her boyfriend Stefanos Tsitsipas. However, Zheng is injured while Badosa has broken up with Tsitsipas.
They qualify on ranking, Badosa/Tsitsipas would have needed a wildcard.
Williams, who will play with fellow American Reilly Opelka, won one match each in singles and doubles in Washington after not competing anywhere since the Miami Open in March 2024.
She has won 16 doubles grand slam titles, 14 in women's doubles with her younger sister Serena, two in mixed doubles.
US OPEN MIXED DOUBLES PAIRINGS
Qualified (singles ranking in brackets)
Emma Navarro (11) & Jannik Sinner (1)
Paula Badosa (10) & Jack Draper (5)
Iga Swiatek (3) & Casper Ruud (13)
Elena Rybakina (12) & Taylor Fritz (4)
Amanda Anisimova (7) & Holger Rune (9)
Belinda Bencic (15*) & Alexander Zverev (3)
Jessica Pegula (4) & Tommy Paul (15)
Mirra Andreeva (5) & Daniil Medvedev (14)
*protected ranking
Wildcards
Venus Williams & Reilly Opelka
Emma Raducanu & Carlos Alcaraz
Madison Keys & Frances Tiafoe
Olga Danilovic & Novak Djokovic
Taylor Townsend & Ben Shelton
Sara Errani & Andrea Vavassori.
with AP
Australian Associated Press
