Just In: Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka handed worst possible US Open draw in major headache
Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka have been given arguably the worst draw possible in the US Open mixed doubles competition. They might be the top seeds because direct entries are based on singles rankings, but they will be the underdogs against current doubles No. 1s Katerina Siniakova and Henry Patten, who had to come through qualifying to reach the main draw.
Djokovic and Sabalenka were expected to face wildcards Leylah Fernandez and Frances Tiafoe, but they withdrew after the draw was made. It meant things had to be switched around, and the multi-Grand Slam champions were instead drawn against qualifiers, with a pair of lucky losers also entering the field.
Facing a qualifier may sound easy on paper, but the US Open allowed doubles rankings to be used for teams entering the preliminary rounds. It means Djokovic and Sabalenka will be the underdogs against the world’s two best doubles players.
Siniakova has 12 Grand Slam doubles titles across women’s and mixed, plus Olympic gold medals in women’s doubles and mixed doubles. The Czech star has spent a staggering 196 weeks as the WTA doubles No. 1.
British star Patten has three Grand Slam doubles titles to his name, including two on home soil at Wimbledon, plus the ATP Finals and two Masters 1000 crowns. He reached No. 1 in the doubles rankings for the first time this summer.
Siniakova and Patten beat the wildcard pair of Tatjana Maria and Valentin Vacherot in their first-round qualifying match on Monday, and then took out Americans Peyton Stearns and Christian Harrison to reach the main draw. They will now face Djokovic and Sabalenka.
While Sabalenka is a former doubles No. 1 and won two doubles Majors with her former partner Elise Mertens, those titles came more than five years ago.
Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool also came through qualifying to reach the main draw and will face the blockbuster duo of Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz. Kiwi star Routliffe is a former doubles No. 1 who has won the US Open women’s doubles title twice, while Brit ace Glasspool is also an ex-No. 1 and won Wimbledon last year.
Kiki Mladenovic and Marcelo Arevalo also ended up getting into the main draw as lucky losers and will face the Czech pairing of Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik. Mladenovic is a former doubles No. 1, a seven-time women’s doubles Grand Slam champion, winning Wimbledon last month, and a three-time mixed doubles Major winner.
Arevalo has also reached the top of the rankings in doubles, won the mixed title at Wimbledon this year, and is a two-time men’s doubles Grand Slam champion.
There is one other doubles specialist team in the draw – two-time defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, who received a wildcard as the 2024 and 2025 title winners. Last year, as the only doubles duo in the field, they successfully defended their title despite the US Open’s huge revamp of the mixed doubles competition.
