The much-anticipated tennis partnership between Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open faces serious uncertainty tonight.
The Spanish star must compete against world No1 Jannik Sinner in the Cincinnati Open final this evening, creating a scheduling nightmare that could derail their mixed doubles campaign.
The former Flushing Meadows singles champions were granted wildcards for the new Mixed Doubles Championship, which begins Tuesday morning in New York.
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Their pairing has generated enormous excitement, particularly given speculation about their relationship extending beyond the tennis court.
Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz were expected to team up for the revamped doubles event at the US Open
|GETTY
However, with Cincinnati's Masters 1000 tournament unusually extended to Monday, Alcaraz faces an almost impossible timeline to reach New York in time.
The journey from Cincinnati, Ohio to New York requires a two-hour flight, leaving minimal time for recovery before Tuesday's opening matches.
The mixed doubles competition kicks off at 11am local time, with first and second-round matches scheduled throughout the day.
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| GettyThis compressed schedule means the 22-year-old Spaniard would need to travel on the same day he's expected to compete alongside Raducanu.
Therefore, exhaustion from Monday's high-stakes encounter with his Italian rival could significantly impact his performance in the two-day knockout tournament.
The lucrative event offers £740,000 to the winning pair, with semi-finals and the championship match set for Wednesday.
Britain's 2021 US Open winner and her Spanish partner must face British No1 Jack Draper and American Jessica Pegula in their opening encounter.
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Pegula became Draper's third partner after China's Qinwen Zheng and Spain's Paula Badosa both withdrew due to injuries.
The victors of this all-British clash could potentially meet Novak Djokovic and Serbian partner Olga Danilovic in the following round.
The 24-time Grand Slam champion and his compatriot must first overcome Russia's Mirra Andreeva and Daniil Medvedev.
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Carlos Alcaraz faces world No1 Jannik Sinner in the Cincinnati Open final this evening, marking another final the pair have mate in
| GettyWorld No1 Sinner has entered the competition alongside ten-time doubles Grand Slam champion Katerina Siniakova, facing Belinda Bencic and Alexander Zverev in their opener.
Representatives from Raducanu's camp remain in communication with Alcaraz's team and maintain optimism about his participation despite the challenging logistics.
The five-time Grand Slam winner previously expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, stating: "She's going to be the boss. I'm super excited about it.
"I know Emma since a really long time ago. I have a really good relationship with her. It's going to be interesting. We are both going to enjoy, for sure."
The tournament has already suffered notable withdrawals, including Grigor Dimitrov and Aryna Sabalenka, whilst Coco Gauff opted out to focus on singles preparation.