Men’s world No. 1 Jannik Sinner will team up with American WTA standout Emma Navarro for the mixed doubles event at this year’s US Open. The tournament, part of US Open Fan Week, is set for August 19 and 20 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, with the winning pair taking home a $1 million prize purse.
Sixteen teams have been announced for the two-day event, and Sinner and Navarro are among the most anticipated pairings. Both shared their thoughts on the upcoming partnership, offering fans a glimpse into how their collaboration came together.
Emma Navarro Explains How Her Mixed Doubles Pairing With Jannik Sinner Came About
Navarro recently described the process behind the pairing, and Sinner also weighed in during his pre-Wimbledon press conference. Interestingly, Sinner revealed that he had never met or texted Navarro before, and that tournament organizers had approached them both to play together for the event.
Sinner gave insight into the development during his pre-Wimbledon press conference. He explained that he and Navarro had never met or communicated before, and that the idea to partner came from the tournament organizers themselves.
Later, in an interview with Tennis Channel after her first-round win at Wimbledon, Navarro playfully described how Sinner had “begged” her to play with him for the US Open, while also complimenting her game.
Navarro said, “Yeah, he was beginning me to play. He was saying, you know, I heard about your volleys and your doubles skills. Please please, will you play with me? I said yeah, sure. I guess, I will play with you. You’re not the best player, but I’ll make an exception and try to get a better partner next. Yeah, no, I am excited.”
After sharing the story, Navarro, 24, expressed excitement about the new experience and her determination to perform well for the team.
She added, “I think it’s going to be fun. I got to hold up my end of the bargain on my half, and I think it would be really fun. So I am excited.”
Like Navarro, Sinner got his Wimbledon campaign off to a strong start, defeating compatriot Luca Nardi 6-4, 6-3, 6-0 in the first round on Tuesday. When asked about playing alongside the world No. 1, Navarro joked that it was “not too shabby,” but admitted there would be pressure and high expectations.
She said, “Not too shaby. In all seriousness. I’m going to have a lot of pressure and a lot of expectations to live up to there. I know he’s going to be hitting clean forehands, backhands, left and right, and aces all over the court. So it will be great.”
In addition to Sinner and Navarro, another high-profile pair for the mixed doubles event is Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu. The Spaniard revealed during the Queen’s Club Championships that he had asked Raducanu to team up for the US Open in August.
The two have also been seen practicing together on the Wimbledon courts, showing strong camaraderie ahead of the event.
