Emma Raducanu has revealed her next high profile partnership as she prepares to partner with Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open. The British No3 will partner up with 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.
The partnership marks another high-profile doubles collaboration for the British number three.
The announcement follows news that Raducanu will join forces with Alcaraz for the mixed doubles competition at the US Open. The 22-year-old has been actively pursuing doubles opportunities to enhance her net play.
Rybakina, who claimed the Wimbledon title in 2022, has already been practising with Raducanu in the American capital. The duo have developed a positive rapport ahead of their first competitive outing together.
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|Elena Rybakina won Wimbledon in 2022
The pair face a challenging opening encounter against Britain's Olivia Nicholls and her Czech partner Tereza Mihalikova in Monday's first round. This marks Raducanu's inaugural competitive match alongside the Kazakhstani player.
The British player has been dedicating significant practice time to doubles preparation in Washington.
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Raducanu's doubles journey began at this same tournament three years prior, when she partnered Denmark's Clara Tauson. That campaign ended in a first-round defeat, and she subsequently avoided the doubles format until her recent resurgence of interest.
Raducanu's recent doubles activity includes a successful partnership with fellow Briton Katie Boulter at Queen's Club, where they advanced to the quarter-finals after winning their opening match.
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PA | Emma Raducanu will partner with Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open
Following her Queen's Club experience, Raducanu expressed enthusiasm for continuing in doubles formats. "I think the time I spent on the doubles court for sure helped me for my first round here, and I think it can improve my volley skills," she explained.
She noted that her net play had become more instinctive: "Today I picked off a few great volleys, I wasn't really thinking, but it happened, like, naturally and it was instinctive, and that could have maybe been a part of playing some dubs."
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The partnership brings together two players with contrasting recent history, as Rybakina delivered Raducanu one of her most challenging defeats in Sydney three and a half years ago. The Kazakhstani dominated that encounter, securing a 6-0, 6-1 victory.
Currently ranked 46th in the world, Raducanu will also compete in the singles tournament in Washington, where she faces Ukraine's Marta Kostyuk in her opening match. Rybakina, positioned at world number 12, similarly enters the singles competition.
Reuters | Carlos Alcaraz will partner with Emma Raducanu at the US Open
The five-time Grand Slam winner Alcaraz awaits as Raducanu's mixed doubles partner at Flushing Meadows next month. Her expanding doubles commitments signal a strategic approach to developing her all-court game.