Pegula-Draper a new team for US Open mixed doubles, and Sinner needs another partner

NEW YORK (AP) — Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper will team up for the U.S. Open mixed doubles tournament, after their previous partners withdrew Friday from the revamped event.

Top-ranked men’s player Jannik Sinner also needs a new partner if he wants to play in the event that will reward $1 million to the winning team, as Emma Navarro also has pulled out of the competition that begins Tuesday and will instead be playing next week in a tournament in Monterrey, Mexico.

Pegula was slated to play with fellow American Tommy Paul, while Draper had been paired with Paula Badosa. Pegula, Draper and Sinner were all allowed to find a new partner by Sunday’s deadline and maintain a direct entry into the field of 16 teams if their combined singles ranking was high enough.

Pegula, last year’s U.S. Open women’s runner-up, and Draper had a combined ranking of 9 as of the entry deadline.

After the withdrawals and new pairings, Italians Jasmine Paolini and Lorenzo Musetti also moved into the draw via direct entry through their combined rankings.

There are 13 spots currently filled, including defending mixed doubles champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, who were given one of the wild cards by the U.S. Tennis Association. They criticized the new format, a shortened, two-day event that will largely be filled by top singles players.

The other teams that have qualified directly include: Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud, Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz, Amanda Anisimova and Holger Rune, Belinda Bencic and Alexander Zverev, and Mirra Andreeva and Daniil Medvedev.

The other wild cards that have been given have gone to Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz, Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe, Olga Danilovic and Novak Djokovic, Taylor Townsend and Ben Shelton, and Venus Williams and Reilly Opelka.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis