The US Open mixed doubles event has lost an important player from the draw at the last minute. Last year’s finalists, Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud, won’t be in action this year as they won’t be as they have decided to not pair up. The Pole has pulled out of the event and hasn’t provided a reason for her withdrawal. But Ruud doesn’t have to worry too much as he has already found a new partner.

The Norwegian will be teaming up with Diana Shnaider for the event. Notably, the latter was originally supposed to team up with Daniil Medvedev. But he pulled out of the event after getting a wildcard to play singles at the Winston-Salem Open. After losing their original partners, Ruud and Shnaider have been paired together.

Like Medvedev, Swiatek has also likely withdrawn to focus on singles competition. The Pole has been pretty active in the hard-court season and has already played 11 matches. She first triumphed at the National Bank Open, which was her first title win of the season.

Swiatek followed that up by reaching the semifinals of the Cincinnati Masters, where she was eliminated by Jessica Pegula. Entering the mixed doubles event would have only increased her fatigue before the US Open, and thus she has wisely decided to move away from the competition.

The World No. 8 had enjoyed decent success with Ruud after the event was revamped last season. The two reached the final after winning three consecutive matches before eventually getting defeated by Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori. Fans would have wanted to see Swiatek and Ruud in action once again at Flushing Meadows, but that won’t be happening anymore.

The draw for the event has been decided, and there are some feisty matchups in the opening round. Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic will kick off their campaign with a clash against Leylah Fernandez and Frances Tiafoe. There is a lot of hype for this encounter as it will be the first time that fans will witness Sabalenka and Djokovic team up for a competitive doubles match.

The newly-formed pair of Shnaider and Ruud are likely to face a tough task against the all-American team of Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz. Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils will be up against Alexandra Eala and Felix Auger-Aliassime in what is expected to be a cracker of a contest. Finally, defending champions Errani and Vavassori will go up against Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev, which is also expected to be a close affair.

A team that wouldn’t be too happy with the draw is that of Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz. They are scheduled to face a qualifier in the first round, so their opponents are yet to be decided. But it is safe to say that the match could turn out to be a tough one.

Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz can have a tough outing in the first round

The qualifier list for the event consists of multiple doubles specialists. This includes the likes of Gabriela Dabrowski and Harri Heliovaara, Luisa Stefani and Neal Skupski, Aleksandra Krunić and Mate Pavić, and more. Facing any of these teams in the Round of 16 can be a daunting task for Serena and Alcaraz.

This isn’t just because it is the first time they will be teaming up, but also because both of them are coming off injury layoffs. While Alcaraz hasn’t played since April due to a wrist injury, Serena recently suffered a knee injury at Wimbledon and returned to action at the Cincinnati Masters. It isn’t a guarantee that their fitness will be at its best as they step up to play the mixed doubles event.

This is the second consecutive year that Alcaraz is playing in the competition. He teamed up with Emma Raducanu last year, but they were defeated in the opening round by Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper.

On the other hand, this will be the first time Serena Williams will be playing the revamped version of the mixed doubles event. But she did participate in the event in the past and even won it at just 16 in 1998, when she paired with Belarusian player Max Mirnyi.

Serena and Alcaraz’s first-round opponents will be decided during the one-day qualifying event on August 24. Eight teams will compete for the remaining two places in the draw, and this is where the last two matchups will also be decided.