The Spaniard has been linked—at least playfully—by fans to fellow tennis star Emma Raducanu, especially after the news broke that the two will be teaming up for mixed doubles at this year’s US Open. Now, with the pair spotted training together ahead of the tournament, the speculation has only grown louder.

World No.1 Jannik Sinner, a hard-court specialist, aims to defend his US Open title despite recent illness, facing rivals Alcaraz and Djokovic.

Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic will face potential difficult American opponents when they begin their quest for another U.S. Open title.

If you would like to follow The Athletic’s U.S. Open coverage, click here and follow our tennis page. Will world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka go “Slamless” in 2025 — and does it even matter? Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner could go eight from eight at the Grand Slams — but their bigger fight might take place in the world rankings.

The much-talked-about pairing of Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz fell to an early exit in the US Open’s mixed doubles competition on Tuesday, losing their first-round match and failing to win a set.

Djokovic, who threw out the first pitch ahead of Thursday’s Red Sox-Yankees game, faces Learner Tien, the American ranked No. 48 in the world, while Alcaraz meets huge-serving American Reilly Opelka, ranked No. 66.

To become World No.1 at the end of the US Open, Alcaraz must lift the trophy or he must achieve the same result as Sinner, who is called upon to defend his triumph a year ago. The 24-year-old from Sesto Pusteria - on the other hand - must win the tournament or do better than the Spanish ace.

Maybe Ben Shelton or Taylor Fritz or even Frances Tiafoe, who’s been knocking on the door for a few years, can make himself the biggest story at the end of this U.S. Open, and not Jannik Sinner