With just hours of rest after Monday’s Masters 1000 Cincinnati final, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner will carry their rivalry into the mixed doubles of the US Open, which debuts a new format in the week leading up to the main draw. The prize at stake for the champions will be a million dollars.

A new chapter for a growing rivalry

Spanish star Alcaraz, champion of the US Open singles in 2022, will team up with Britain’s Emma Raducanu, who lifted the New York title in 2021. Meanwhile, Italian world No. 1 Sinner, the reigning US Open singles champion, will join forces with Czech player Katerina Siniakova after the late withdrawal of Emma Navarro.

The lineup also includes tennis giants such as Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek, Alexander Zverev, as well as home favorites like Venus Williams, Jessica Pegula, Ben Shelton, and Frances Tiafoe. Tournament organizers introduced this format to bring more spotlight to mixed doubles, which traditionally has struggled for attention during the main singles action.

Key matchups and innovative format

Alcaraz and Raducanu will open against Pegula and Britain’s Jack Draper, with the potential to face Djokovic and Olga Danilovic in the second round. On the other side, Sinner and Siniakova will debut against Zverev and Swiss star Belinda Bencic.

The competition will feature shorter sets to four games, no-ad scoring at deuce, and a 10-point super tiebreak in place of a deciding third set. However, the Wednesday final will use the traditional six-game sets.

This year, the US Open not only promises a high-caliber singles draw starting August 24, but also a million-dollar showdown that adds a new twist to the heated rivalry between Alcaraz and Sinner.