Emma Raducanu Will Not be Playing Mixed Doubles with Carlos Alcaraz in the US

Emma Raducanu played mixed doubles with Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open, but the pair lost in the first round.

Emma Raducanu Will Not be Playing Mixed Doubles with Carlos Alcaraz in the US

Carlos Alcaraz, Emma Raducanu (Image via X/alcaraz archive, Eurosport)

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Emma Raducanu was scheduled to play an exhibition event in the United States on December 7 and 8. But because of a minor foot injury, she withdrew from it.

Raducanu was set to play alongside Carlos Alcaraz, Joao Fonseca, Frances Tiafoe, and Amanda Anisimova. The former World No.10 had played mixed doubles with Alcaraz at the US Open, with their run ending in the second round at the hands of Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper.

Due to her withdrawal from the US exhibition, the Brit will miss out on $630,000. Pegula will enter as her replacement. Raducanu will continue her training along with coach Francis Roig in Barcelona. She will avoid exacerbating her injury to arrive in Australia for the first Major of the season with complete fitness.

The 23-year-old was last seen in action at the Ningbo Open, where her run was ended by Zhu Lin in the opening round. The 2021 US Open champion produced her best performance when she reached the semifinal of the Miami Open, losing that match in three sets to eventual runner-up Pegula.

The World No. 29 hasn’t yet won a title since her fairytale run at the 2021 US Open. She ended this season with a 28-22 win-loss record.

Mark Lajal opens up about the anxiety he dealt with before facing Carlos Alcaraz

When Mark Lajal realized that he would be facing none other than Carlos Alcaraz in the first round of 2024 Wimbledon, nerves got the better of him. So much so that he wanted to withdraw from the match.

Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/Carlos Alcaraz 4K)

Honestly, it’s funny because I don’t remember much of the match. It’s a big blur. I remember walking onto the court really well, but during the match, there were so many emotions that I barely processed anything. Right after, I was like, ‘What just happened?’ The biggest thing I learned was how to manage emotions. Before the match, I had so many emotions – I was actually ready to leave because I was so nervous. I didn’t want to play; I just wanted to go home.

Mark Lajal told CLAY

It was the only match the Estonian ace played against the six-time Grand Slam champion. This year, Lajal, a World No.148, ended the season with a 3-3 win-loss record. In his overall career, he has a 6-8 win-loss record.

Yeah, before the match. It was really bad. The day before, I was having dinner with my friends, and Juan Sebastián Cabal was there. At one moment, I got so nervous I couldn’t speak. Everyone noticed. Cabal explained things to me because he’s been there – he’s won in that court. He told me to go sit at Centre Court. So at around 7 p.m., my coach and I took bikes to Wimbledon, sat there with no people, and that calmed me down. The next morning, I felt okay, ready, not nervous. But the day before… I was feeling awful. I just wanted to leave.

Mark Lajal added

After defeating Lajal, Alcaraz went on to reach the final and defended his title by going past Novak Djokovic in straight sets. The 22-year-old, however, couldn’t complete the three-peat as he lost in four sets to arch-rival Jannik Sinner this year.

Alcaraz ended the season with eight titles from 11 finals, the most on the men’s tour this year. The Spaniard also took home six Masters 1000s: in Monte Carlo, Rome, Paris, Cincinnati, and New York. He also beat Sinner to win the year-end No.1 trophy. The last title that Alcaraz lifted this year was the Japan Open by defeating Taylor Fritz.

Also read: Jack Draper Pumped to Return to Action in the Exhibition Tournament After Months on the Sidelines