Emma Navarro and Tommy Paul withdraw from US Open mixed doubles tournament
Two prominent American tennis stars have pulled out of the revamped US Open mixed doubles competition, creating significant changes to the 16-team field ahead of the high-stakes tournament scheduled for August 19-20 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Emma Navarro, currently ranked 11th in the world, has chosen to compete in next week's WTA 500 tournament in Monterrey instead of participating in the mixed doubles event. The decision comes after a challenging stretch during the US hard court season, where Navarro experienced two second-round defeats and one first-round elimination.
Tommy Paul, ranked 16th globally, has also withdrawn from the competition as he continues his recovery from injury. The American player is using the additional time to prepare specifically for singles competition when the main US Open tournament begins at Flushing Meadows.
The newly structured mixed doubles format features a substantial $1 million prize pool for the victorious partnership, making it one of the most lucrative mixed doubles competitions in professional tennis. The tournament's condensed two-day schedule represents a significant departure from traditional Grand Slam mixed doubles formats.
Navarro's withdrawal creates an immediate challenge for world number one Jannik Sinner, who was scheduled to be her partner. Sinner now faces a Sunday deadline of 2:00 p.m. on August 17 to secure a replacement or be forced to withdraw from the entire competition. The Italian star will be competing in the Cincinnati Open semifinals on Saturday and is heavily favored to advance to Sunday's final, which could complicate his partner search.
Meanwhile, Tommy Paul's absence has triggered a reshuffling of partnerships throughout the field. Jessica Pegula, the fourth-ranked player and 2024 US Open finalist, was originally paired with Paul but will now team up with England's Jack Draper, who holds the fifth position in men's rankings. This new partnership emerged after Draper's original partner, Paula Badosa, withdrew due to ongoing back injury concerns.
The Pegula-Draper combination maintains their status among the top eight seeded teams with a combined ranking of 9, ensuring their automatic qualification for the tournament. This pairing represents a strong Anglo-American alliance with significant experience in major tournaments.
The withdrawals have created opportunities for other players to enter the prestigious field. Italian duo Jasmine Paolini, ranked ninth, and Lorenzo Musetti, ranked tenth, have now secured direct entry into the competition. Previously, this partnership was outside the automatic qualification threshold and had not been selected among the six wild-card teams already announced.
Tournament organizers still have two additional wild-card slots to announce, providing further opportunities for players to join the exclusive 16-team field. These final selections will complete the lineup for what promises to be an exciting and financially rewarding competition.
SportsLigue