Jannik Sinner Finds New Mixed Doubles Partner After Emma Navarro’s Surprising Withdrawal

Jannik Sinner’s first-round match in the US Open mixed doubles is scheduled to start in less than 24 hours after his clash with Carlos Alcaraz in Cincinnati.

Jannik Sinner Finds New Mixed Doubles Partner After Emma Navarro’s Surprising Withdrawal

Jannik Sinner, Emma Navarro (Image via X/Jannik Sinner HQ, Matt Cronin)

🔍 Explore this post with:

ChatGPTPerplexityGrok AIGoogle AI

Emma Navarro withdrew from the US Open mixed doubles, and Jannik Sinner had to find a partner. Now, he will be playing alongside none other than Katerina Siniakova, the former doubles No.1.

The reason behind Navarro’s withdrawal is the WTA 500 Monterrey Open, the qualifying rounds of which are underway at Club Sonoma, and the main draw is scheduled to start on Monday (August 18). Navarro will enter the tournament as the top seed.

She has won just one match in the three hard-court tournaments she played before the US Open. The American ace lost her opening-round match at the Citi Open to Maria Sakkari, while at the Canadian Open, Dayana Yastremska knocked her out in the third round. In Cincinnati, she lost in three sets to qualifier Ella Seidel. She has never played doubles in Grand Slam events.

Siniakova, however, is an experienced doubles player. She has 10 doubles Grand Slam titles to her name, while in mixed doubles, she has won one- this year’s Wimbledon, along with Sem Verbeek.

Although Sinner is a part of the draw, it’s uncertain whether he will be playing the event. On Monday (August 18), he is scheduled to lock horns with Carlos Alcaraz in the Cincinnati Masters final. His first-round mixed doubles match at the US Open is on the following day, in less than 24 hours after the start of the Cincinnati final. He and Siniakova are set to square off against Alexander Zverev and Belinda Bencic.

Alcaraz will also be playing his first mixed doubles match at Flushing Meadows on Tuesday, so his participation, too, is uncertain. His partner is Emma Raducanu. Sinner and Alcaraz will face off in Cincinnati at 3 pm ET, while their first mixed doubles match on Tuesday will start at 2:40 pm ET.

Carlos Alcaraz on why playing Jannik Sinner in the Cincinnati Masters final is weird

The Cincinnati Masters and the Canadian Open have been extended to 12-day Masters 1000 events, joining five other events. This led to scheduling problems as, surprisingly, the Canadian Open final was held on Thursday, while the final in Cincinnati will be held on Monday.

Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz
Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz (Image via X/The Tennis Letter)

Jannik Sinner prefers the one-week Masters 1000 and is also losing track of the days because finals are being held on weekdays. Carlos Alcaraz, who has time and again criticized the hectic 11-month calendar, finds playing a final on Monday weird.

Seeing as I am doing this press conference at 11 pm, I am just glad to have one day to recover. But at the same time, it is going to be weird playing a final on a Monday. I am going to feel like what’s going on? I don’t know. It’s a different feeling. I love playing the final on Sunday.

Carlos Alcaraz said at the press conference

Alcaraz will be facing the four-time Grand Slam champion for the fourth time this season. He holds a 2-1 win-loss record over Sinner after their matches in Rome, Paris, and London. In London, Sinner came from a set down to win his career’s first Wimbledon title.

But it’s everything that you have to see from another perspective, because as I say, I am going to have dinner late, I am going to have treatment late, and go to bed late. So having that day is going to be much better to be ready for Monday. But at the same time, we are used to seeing a final on Sunday, and it’s going to be weird.

Carlos Alcaraz added

In their overall head-to-head record, Alcaraz holds an 8-5 lead. He beat Alexander Zverev in the semifinals, while the 24-year-old moved past Terence Atmane.

Also read: (Video) Iga Swiatek Gets Into an Awkward Confrontation With Interviewer After Reaching Cincinnati Open Final