Jannik Sinner pulls out of hyped US Open doubles event in health worry

No one will be getting an early glimpse at the men’s world No.1 singles player in Flushing this year, nor an 11-time Grand Slam doubles champion.

Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the U.S. Open mixed doubles event Tuesday morning, less than 24 hours after his retirement after just five games of the Cincinnati Final against Carlos Alcaraz due to illness.

The decision doesn’t come as a surprise as the defending U.S. Open champion and his team were expected to prioritize recovery for the singles tournament that starts Sunday.

The four-time Grand Slam champion was set to partner with Kateřina Siniaková, who is likely the best active doubles specialist in the women’s game, and she also subsequently withdrew from the event.

The two were one of the most interesting pairings for the newly formatted two-day event with a $1 million prize awaiting the winners.

Replacing them are Danielle Collins and Christian Harrison, who were added about a half hour before the 11 a.m. start.

They will play Belinda Bencic and Alexander Zverev on Tuesday afternoon at Louis Armstrong Stadium.

After the withdrawal, the U.S. Open was left scrambling but released a statement saying they would find an alternate team “with the highest combined singles ranking.”