Britain's top tennis stars Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu have both entered the revamped US Open mixed doubles event, but they will not be partnering each other.
Draper has teamed up with Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng, whilst Raducanu will play alongside five-time Grand Slam winner Carlos Alcaraz.
The decision means British tennis fans will miss the opportunity to see their two highest-ranked players competing on the same side of the net.
The mixed doubles event will take place during Fan Week, the week before the main draws begin.
The US Open announced a star-studded field of 16 teams on Tuesday, featuring many of the world's top players in exciting partnerships for the new format.
Draper has revealed that Raducanu made a strategic choice in selecting her partner.
"Yeah, I mean, a wise person once told me you should find the best partner, and that's what she did in Alcaraz. I don't blame her at all for that," he said when asked why the 2021 US Open champion wasn't playing with him.
Emma Raducanu has snubbed fellow Briton Jack Draper to play with Carlos Alcaraz
GETTYThe British number one praised Raducanu's decision and her chosen partner's abilities. "Yeah, I think she will have a lot of fun playing with Carlos. He's obviously the best player in the world probably right now, along with [Jannik] Sinner," Draper added.
He also highlighted Alcaraz's doubles prowess, saying: "Great at doubles, as well. Saw that with Rafa [Nadal] at the Olympics. She's gone about and chose the best partner, for sure. Hopefully they do well."
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Draper expressed enthusiasm about the new format, which will be staged across two days during Fan Week.
"Yeah, I'll definitely play. I think it's a good format for the players to get prepared for the US Open, having a shot at playing with another top player," he said.
Jack Draper will play alongside Olympic Champion Qinwen Zheng
ReutersHis partner Zheng, who claimed Olympic gold in women's singles last summer, has reached a Grand Slam final and achieved a career-high ranking of number four this week.
The Chinese player had previously named Draper as her dream doubles partner in an interview.
Draper revealed he initiated their partnership through their shared management agency.
"I think it was me who messaged through IMG. She's with IMG as well. It was nice to get that sort of together and let's see how we get on," he explained.
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The tournament has attracted an impressive lineup of partnerships, including world number one Jannik Sinner with Emma Navarro, Jessica Pegula with Tommy Paul, and Jasmine Paolini with Lorenzo Musetti.
Other notable pairings feature Elena Rybakina with Taylor Fritz, Mirra Andreeva with Daniil Medvedev, and Madison Keys with Frances Tiafoe.
Further star combinations include Aryna Sabalenka with Grigor Dimitrov, Iga Swiatek with Casper Ruud, and Paula Badosa with Stefanos Tsitsipas.
Belinda Bencic will partner Alexander Zverev, whilst Novak Djokovic teams up with Olga Danilovic.
Carlos Alcaraz will be teaming up with Emma Raducanu as one of the favourite pairings
PAThe field also features Naomi Osaka with Nick Kyrgios, Taylor Townsend with Ben Shelton, and Sara Errani with Andrea Vavassori.
The entry window closes on July 28, with the top eight teams gaining direct acceptance based on combined singles rankings, whilst eight wild cards will be announced later.
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