World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the US Open mixed doubles event after retiring from the Cincinnati Open final due to illness. The Italian struggled with a fever and pulled out of his match against Carlos Alcaraz after just five games on Monday, trailing 5-0 in the first set.
Sinner had confirmed his participation in the new-look mixed doubles tournament earlier on Monday, partnering doubles specialist Katerina Siniakova. However, his condition worsened, forcing him to prioritise recovery ahead of the singles competition. He said on social media: 'Yesterday I didn’t feel great and I’m really sorry to disappoint you. Now it’s time to rest a couple of days before getting back to work.'
The US Open confirmed that Sinner and Siniakova have been replaced by American duo Danielle Collins and Christian Harrison, who had the highest combined singles ranking among alternate teams. The mixed doubles event, which carries $1m in prize money, begins on Tuesday in New York.
Carlos Alcaraz, who won the Cincinnati final in just 24 minutes, is set to partner Emma Raducanu in the mixed doubles. They face British No. 1 Jack Draper and Jessica Pegula in the first round. Iga Swiatek, who won the women's Cincinnati title, will also play mixed doubles with Casper Ruud.
Sinner’s withdrawal raises concerns about his fitness for the US Open singles, where he is the defending champion. However, he allayed injury fears by confirming the issue is illness. 'I tried to come out and make it at least a small match but I couldn’t handle more,' he said during the Cincinnati trophy ceremony.
