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The prize money for the US Open mixed doubles competition has been revealed and it won’t just be the winners who enjoy a windfall from the new-look tournament.

There has been plenty of controversy around an event that is an invitation-only competition, amid widespread suggestions that the winners should not be presented with a Grand Slam title.

Doubles specialists are missing out on a payday for an event that could have helped to fund their careers, but US Open chiefs will argue the event is shining a spotlight on a mixed doubles competition that often gets minimal attention.

Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu’s partnership has been one of the most talked about in the build-up to the tournament, with world No 1 Jannik Sinner a possible absentee after his partner Emma Navarro pulled out.

Britain’s Jack Draper has been paired with Jessica Pegula after their partners pulled out, with the predicted withdrawals from what is essentially an exhibition event now flowing.

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Most of the teams will never have played together before, but the prize money on offer confirms this will be a highly lucrative two-day event when it gets underway on Tuesday.

As has been widely promoted, the winning team will be handed $1million in prize money, but the cash will also flow down to teams that fail to perform in the quick-fire event.

The runners-up will collect $400,000 to share between them, while semi-finalists are in line for $200,000.

Quarter-finalists will take home $100,000 and teams that lose in the opening round will be handed $20,000.

The format of the competition has also been a point of controversy, with best-of-three-set matches played over just four games, with a deciding point at deuce and a tie-breaker if the scores are level at 4-4.

The final will be played over a conventional three sets, with six games required to win and a tie-break to decide the outcome if the scores reach 6-6.

With the competition being played over just two days and starting on Tuesday, there must be a prospect of high-profile withdrawals due to players still playing in the Cincinnati Masters until Monday.

Defending US Open mixed doubles champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori and current women’s doubles world No 1 Taylor Townsend are among the players competing and they will probably have the best chance of success against players who are not used to playing doubles and especially mixed doubles.

Yet players like men’s world No 1 Lloyd Glasspool and his partner Julian Cash have not been handed an invite to play, which is a point of contention.

In an exclusive interview with Tennis365, the coach of Cash suggested this event does not deserve to be the US Open mixed doubles event, even though he admits it will be entertaining to watch.

“This exhibition event will be great fun, but it is not a Grand Slam and it shouldn’t be viewed as such,” said Fulcher, who is Cash’s coach.“It’s not just about the prize money and more about removing a mixed doubles Grand Slam opportunity.

“My own personal view, it is all just posturing at the moment and I will be fascinated to see how many of those 16 pairings that were announced a few weeks ago will turn up and play.

“I’d be very, very surprised if a lot of those pairs end up taking to the court and the only reason they would release that list is to get everyone talking about it.

“It’s almost like they have put their names down, but there is no obligation to play.

“For me, the best doubles pairing on that list they released is Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori and it will be interesting to see if some doubles players who end up playing if the singles players drop out.

“I’m a fan of innovation and trying to bring new things into tennis, but I don’t agree with calling it a Grand Slam event.”

With Sinner set to play Alcaraz in the Cincinnati Masters final on Monday, there must be big doubts over the stars of men’s tennis playing in the US Open doubles event.

As of Aug. 15, the teams in the 2025 US Open Mixed Doubles Championship field via direct entry, listed by combined singles ranking, include:

Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper

Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud

Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz

Amanda Anisimova and Holger Rune

Belinda Bencic and Alexander Zverev

Mirra Andreeva and Daniil Medvedev

Jasmine Paolini and Lorenzo Musetti

In addition, the teams receiving wild cards into the field are:

Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe

Olga Danilovic and Novak Djokovic

Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz

Taylor Townsend and Ben Shelton

Venus Williams and Reilly Opelka

Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori

READ NEXT: What needs to happen for Novak Djokovic to win a 25th Grand Slam? Legendary coach reveals

The post US Open mixed doubles prize money confirmed – are Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz pulling out? appeared first on Tennis365.

The final Grand Slam of the 2025 tennis season, the US Open, is around the corner, and we give you all the information you need ahead of the tournament in New York.

This year’s event will be the 145th edition of the US Open while it will be the 58th time that the US Open has been staged in the Open Era.

When will the 2025 US Open take place?

This year marks the first time that the main draw of the US Open men’s and women’s singles competitions will start on a Sunday as it moves to a 15-day event, joining the Australian Open and French Open with Sunday starts.

Play will officially get underway on August 24 and it will come to a conclusion on the weekend of September 6/7 with the women’s final taking place on the Saturday, while the men’s showpiece match will be staged on the Sunday.

BUT…

There is a small matter of the new mixed doubles tournament as the revamped event will take place before the singles main draw as it will be staged on Tuesday, August 19 and Wednesday, August 20.

Some of the biggest names in tennis are set to compete as Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev have signed up on the men’s side while Iga Swiatek, Jessica Pegula, Emma Raducanu, Elena Rybakina, Jasmine Paolini and Naomi Osaka are set to feature from the WTA Tour.

It remains to be seen if all those big names will actually feature on August 19.

What about the venue for the hard-court Grand Slam in New York?

The United States Tennis Association (USTA) Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York City has staged the US Open since 1978 so this year will mark the 46th edition at the venue.

There are 22 outdoor courts and another 12 in the adjoining park.

Arthur Ashe Stadium, Louis Armstrong Stadium, the Grandstand and Court 17 are the four showcourts at Flushing Meadows.

With a capacity of 23,771 , Arthur Ashe is the largest tennis stadium in the world and it has a retractable roof along with Louis Armstrong – which seats 14,000 spectators. The Grandstand has 8,125 seats and Court 17 has a capacity of 2,800.

Who won the 2024 titles at Flushing Meadows?

Two first-time US Open singles champions were crowned 12 months ago with Sinner defeating Taylor Fritz in the men’s final to win his second Grand Slam title, while Aryna Sabalenka became a three-time major champion when she beat Jessica Pegula.

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Who are the top seeds in 2025?

Sinner and Sabalenka are assured of being the top seeds for their title defences as they will be No 1 in the ATP and WTA Rankings before the cutoff date for the seedings. A few positions are still to be decided in the women’s draw, but the men’s top 10 have been confirmed.

Sinner is followed by Alcaraz, Zverev, Fritz, Jack Draper, Ben Shelton, Novak Djokovic, Alex de Minaur, Karen Khachanov and Lorenzo Musetti.

On the women’s side, for now Sabalenka is followed by Coco Gauff, Swiatek, Pegula, Mirra Andreeva, Madison Keys, Amanda Anisimova, Jasmine Paolini, Elena Rybakina and Emma Navarro.

Of course, the top-32 players in the rankings will be seeded and if you are wondering about Raducanu, then she is still touch and go, but you can read more about that here.

Any big-name absentees?

World No 7 Zheng Qinwen is the biggest name to withdraw on the women’s side as she has an elbow injury while world No 12 Paula Badosa has a back injury. Former runner-up Ons Jabeur will also not play as she has called an early end to her 2025 season.

Grigor Dimitrov (No 25) is the only seeded player who won’t feature as he has a pectoral injury.

As for 24-time Grand Slam winner and four-time US Open champion Novak Djokovic, he hasn’t played any competitive matches since Wimbledon, but he is set to feature.

Which players received wildcards for Wimbledon 2025?

The legendary Venus Williams is the highest-profile player to receive a wildcard as the two-time US Open winner will play only her third tournament of the year.

When does qualifying take place?

Qualifying will get underway on August 18 and the final matches will be on Thursday, August 21 with players needing to win three matches to secure an entry into the main draw of the season-ending Grand Slam.

Speaking about the main draw…

The main draw for this year’s tournament is set for Thursday, August 21 and it usually takes place at 12:00 New York time (17:00 BST).

What is the prize money for the 2025 US Open?

The United States Tennis Association has announced a massive 20% increase in prize money from 2024 with the total set at $90 million. Sinner and Sabalenka earned $3,600,000 last year and this year’s will receive a staggering $5,000,000 each.

Full breakdown:
First round: $110,000
Second round: $154,000
Third round: $237,000
Fourth round: $400,000
Quarter-finalists: $660,000
Semi-finalists: $1,260,000
Finalists: $2,500,000
Champions: $5,000,000

The post 2025 US Open: Dates, draw, projected top seeds, prize money. Will Novak Djokovic play? Will Emma Raducanu be seeded? appeared first on Tennis365.

Alexander Zverev faces an uncertain few weeks after his Cincinnati Open semi-final against Carlos Alcaraz ended in alarming fashion.

The world No 3 battled to the end of his clash against a player sitting one place ahead of him in the ATP Rankings, but it was clear a long way from the end of the match that Zverev was in physical distress.

The German had an injury time-out during the second set and there was some surprise that he opted to carry on the match when he was clearly struggling.

This semi-final concluded with a 6-4, 6-3 win for Alcaraz, but the bigger concern must be around Zverev, who is due to play in the US Open mixed doubles event with Belinda Bencic on Tuesday.

It is hard to imagine Zverev will be back on court in New York so quickly and such was his demise in the match against Alcaraz that his participation in the singles at the US Open must also be in doubt.

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Alcaraz carried out the tradition of posting a message on the TV camera with a message wishing Zverev well and he conceded his win was a little hollow as his opponent was clearly in distress.

“It’s never easy playing against someone who is not feeling 100 per-cent,” said Alcaraz.

“Sascha is a great player and we have a really great relationship off the court, so it was difficult.

“We started the match on a good level, playing really good rallies and then my thoughts are with him. It was a really difficult situation and I wish him all the best.”

Alcaraz will now continue his rivalry with world No 1 Jannik Sinner in Monday’s final in Cincinnati, with the Spanish admitting he is relishing the challenge.

“I’m really look forward to playing against him again,” added Alcaraz. “Thanks to him, I bring my best tennis.

“We bring really beautiful tennis and I am ready for the challenge. I am trying to get better from our last match and I try to be ready.

“Mentally I am trying to be ready and I am excited for Monday.”

Alcaraz leads his head-to-head clashes with Sinner 8-5, with the Italian winning their most recent meeting in last month’s Wimbledon final.

Prior to that, Alcaraz won five straight matches against his rival, with the tennis world set to grind to a halt once again as the ‘Big 2’ meet in another final.

With Alcaraz and Sinner making it through to the Monday final in Cincinnati, there must also be big doubts over their participation in the US Open mixed doubles, which gets underway on Tuesday.

Alcaraz is due to play with Emma Raducanu in New York on Tuesday, while Sinner is paired with American Emma Navarro.

READ NEXT: Jannik Sinner faces a big US Open decision after reaching Cincinnati final

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Jannik Sinner’s relentless winning run on hard courts has continued, as he ended the dream run of world No 136 Terence Atmane to secure his place in the Cincinnati Open final.

The world No 1 toasted his 24th birthday in style as he beat Atmane 7-6(4), 6-2 to reach his eighth ATP Masters 1000 final on a day when he was not always at his best.

Sinner appeared to be struggling with illness or an injury at times as he found a way to get past Atmane, with this latest win securing his 200th tour-level win on hard courts as he extended his unbeaten streak on the surface to 26 matches.

“It was a very, very tough challenge,” said Sinner. “Every time you play against something completely new, it’s difficult, but playing against this guy in the later stages of a tournament is even more difficult.

“The pressure is higher and you know they deserve to be there… He has beaten incredible players throughout his wins.

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“I knew that I had to be very careful, and my mindset was in a good spot. I felt like I handled the situations on the court very well.

“He was serving incredibly well in the first set. He has huge, huge potential, and I think we saw that in the tournament.”



Sinner’s latest win ensured he fended off a rising Carlos Alcaraz in the ATP Rankings and he went on to take part in a jovial post-match interview on the tennis channel, where he was given a birthday cake to toast his special day.

“I’m always here on my birthday and it is a special place,” said Sinner. “I made a good present to myself. Everything went very well today. It’s going to be very special to play in a final on Monday here.”

Atmane may have been frustrated after pressing Sinner hard in the opening set, but the Frenchman should be encouraged by the best week of his career so far.

He is on course to rise a stunning 67 places in the updated ATP Rankings to a new career high of No 69 and he will be a player to watch when he takes up his place in the main draw at the US Open later this month.

As for Sinner, he will look to defend his Cincinnati title on Monday before a rapid turnaround the next day, when he is due to be in New York for the US Open mixed doubles, where he is due to team up with America’s Emma Navarro.

It remains to be seen how realistic it is for Sinner to travel from Cincinnati to New York for what feels like an exhibition event at the US Open site on Tuesday, with the Italian set to make a call on his participation over the next couple of days.

READ NEXT: Carlos Alcaraz thrashed, Emma Raducanu shines, Iga Swiatek storms back – early US Open predictions

The post Jannik Sinner faces a big US Open decision after reaching Cincinnati final appeared first on Tennis365.

The Cincinnati Open has brought mixed fortunes for Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff and Iga Swiatek, but how have the WTA Rankings been affected?

With the Cincinnati semi-finals set, three women’s singles matches remain at the WTA 1000 event, with Swiatek taking on Elena Rybakina and Jasmine Paolini facing Veronika Kudermetova.

Here, we look at who could be the big winners and losers when the WTA Rankings are updated next week.

WTA Top 10 at start of Cincinnati

1. Aryna Sabalenka – 12,010
2. Coco Gauff, United States – 7,669
3. Iga Swiatek, Poland – 6,933
4. Jessica Pegula, United States – 5,488
5. Mirra Andreeva – 4,958
6. Madison Keys, United States – 4,579
7. Zheng Qinwen, China – 4,553
8. Amanda Anisimova, United States – 3,834
9. Jasmine Paolini, Italy – 3,586
10. Elena Rybakina, Kazakhstan – 3,283

Sabalenka‘s 4,341-point lead at the top of the ranking meant her world No 1 status was safe regardless of results in Cincinnati.

However, Sabalenka will drop 785 points after her quarter-final exit because she was the reigning champion.

World No 2 Gauff has cut the gap between her and the Belarusian to 3,351 points after increasing her points tally by 205 having reached the last eight.

WTA Top 10 in Live Rankings (as of August 16, 2025)

1. Aryna Sabalenka – 11,225
2. Coco Gauff, United States – 7,874
3. Iga Swiatek, Poland – 7,323/7,583/7,933
4. Jessica Pegula, United States – 4,903
5. Mirra Andreeva – 4,733
6. Madison Keys, United States – 4,689
7. Zheng Qinwen, China – 4,433
8. Amanda Anisimova, United States – 3,859
9. Jasmine Paolini, Italy – 3,856/4,116/4,466
10. Elena Rybakina, Kazakhstan – 3,663

Swiatek‘s run to the semi-finals has improved her total by 390 points to 7,323, and the Polish star can replace Gauff as the world No 2 if she lifts the title.

Jessica Pegula will remain in fourth place, but she is set to drop 585 points after a third round defeat, having been a runner-up in 2024.

Mirra Andreeva is set to lose 215 points after missing the tournament through injury, but she will retain the world No 5 position.

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Madison Keys’ last 16 result increased her points total by 110, and the American will still be ranked sixth when the rankings update.

Zheng Qinwen was absent in Cincinnati as she is currently sidelined after undergoing surgery, and the Chinese star will drop 120 points. Amanda Anisimova, the world No 8, has improved her tally by 25 points after a third round loss.

Paolini remains ninth in the live rankings after making the last four, but she could climb to seventh if she wins Cincinnati. Rybakina, meanwhile, sits 10th and has the chance to jump to eighth spot by securing the title.

The Winners

Karolina Muchova is up two places to 12th after a third round result. Ekaterina Alexandrova’s last 16 run has lifted her two spots to a projected new career-high of 14th.

Kudermetova’s run to the last four has seen her surge from 36th to 26th, and it could get better if she progresses to the title match.

Emma Raducanu has moved from 39th to 35th, which has given her a chance of being seeded at the US Open.

Former world No 2 Barbora Krejcikova is +19 to 61st in the live rankings after reaching the fourth round.

Iva Jovic and Aoi Ito are both +12 to projected new career-high rankings of 76 and 82 respectively.

Varvara Gracheva’s surprise quarter-final showing has taken her from 103rd to 83rd.

The Losers

Paula Badosa is down from 12th to 16th after missing Cincinnati due to her ongoing back injury.

Leylah Fernandez has dropped from 26th to 33rd after an opening round defeat.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova has suffered an 11-place slide to world No 44 after losing in the opening round.

Elina Avanesyan, who is out of action, has fallen 29 places to world No 98 after reaching the third round last year.

READ NEXT: ATP Rankings Winners & Losers Cincy: Sinner on track, Fonseca’s milestone, Atmane +67, Korda -41

The post WTA Rankings Winners & Losers Cincinnati: Swiatek chasing Gauff, Sabalenka’s blow, Raducanu’s boost appeared first on Tennis365.

Novak Djokovic’s Davis Cup teammate Dusan Lajovic has weighed in on the tennis legend’s preparation for the 2025 US Open.

Djokovic has not played since his Wimbledon semi-final loss to Jannik Sinner last month having skipped the Masters 1000 events in Toronto and Cincinnati.

The Serbian, who reached the last four at the first three Grand Slams of the 2025 season, will aim to secure a record-equalling fifth US Open men’s singles crown.

The 38-year-old, who won his 24th and most recent major at the 2023 US Open, will become the oldest Grand Slam singles champion in history if he triumphs at Flushing Meadows.

In an interview with Sport Klub, Lajovic addressed whether Djokovic’s lack of matches before the US Open could have a negative effect on his chances.

“For 97 percent of other tennis players, I would say – yes, but for Novak – no,” said the world No 146, who has been ranked as high as 23rd.

“He did it earlier in his career, maybe not now, but before Australia he did not play in a tournament for a long time, which is a break of a month and a half, maybe even longer than now.

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“Realistically, the first three rounds of the Slam are mostly a warm-up for him, if we look at the statistics and history. It comes to him as a preparatory tournament that the others have in Cincinnati and Toronto or wherever.

“That happens, of course. The players see more chances against him, they feel that he is not as dominant as before. On the other hand, Novak prioritises his body and being physically ready compared to feeling the ball in the first matches or showing his rivals that he is still where he is.

“However, it is not easy to step on the field after not playing for a month or a month and a half, but in this case it is more important for Novak to be physically ready for the end of the tournament, not the beginning.

“The biggest obstacle for Novak this year at the Slams is his physical preparation, we all saw that. If he manages to match them physically, to play consecutive matches with the top 10 players – now his draw is like that… If he succeeds, Novak is the favourite just like Sinner and Alcaraz.

“Sinner showed at Wimbledon that he knows how to deal with a heavy defeat at Roland Garros, thus gaining another level of self-confidence. Alcaraz and Sinner are physically a little bit in front, but when Novak plays at his best – he’s invincible.

“I’d like him to be ready for the whole match, so let’s see where the 38-year-old man is against the much younger ones.”

READ NEXT: Roger Federer’s ex-coach argues Novak Djokovic’s longevity will not be replicated

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Emma Raducanu finds herself at No 35 in the WTA Live Rankings following her exit from the Cincinnati Open, but she could still be seeded at the US Open.

Following her recent good form that saw her reach the semi-final of the Citi DC Open and fourth round of the Canadian Open, Raducanu had surged into the top 35 of the WTA Rankings and, coupled with some withdrawals from the Cincinnati main draw, she found herself seeded 30th for the WTA 1000 event.

But it didn’t count much in her favour as she found herself facing top seed and defending champion Aryna Sabalenka in the third round and, although she produced an excellent display and took a set off the three-time Grand Slam winner, she lost in three sets against the world No 1.

Raducanu started the tournament at No 39, but received a four-place boost for reaching the round of 32.

With the Cincinnati Open the final event before the cut off for the seedings for the US Open, the British No 1’s hopes suffered a big blow as only the top 32 players in the world are seeded at Grand Slams.

However, it was not a fatal blow as there had already been a couple of withdrawals from players who were set to be seeded, and more could follow before the draw is made on Thursday August 21 in New York.

World No 7 Zheng Qinwen and No 12 Paula Badosa have already confirmed they won’t take part in the season-ending Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows and that has resulted in the players at No 33 and No 34 in the Live Rankings being bumped into the top 32.

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Leylah Fernandez and Mccartney Kessler have been the beneficiaries and Raducanu is now next in line to move into a seeded position if there are any further withdrawals.

There is further good news for Raducanu as those just below her in the Live Rankings have already exited the Cincinnati Open with French qualifier Varvara Gracheva the only player outside the top 35 still alive at the WTA 1000 tournament.

However, the 25-year-old will have to win the title to usurp Raducanu in the WTA Rankings.

The other quarter-finalists, Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek, Veronika Kudermetova, Jasmine Paolini and Coco Gauff are all ahead of Raducanu.

The 2021 US Open winner has been seeded only four times at Grand Slams and that was in 2022 on the back of her title run at Flushing Meadows four years ago as she surged up the rankings.

She was seeded 17th at the Australian Open, 12th at the French Open, 10th at Wimbledon and 11th at the US Open.

Raducanu is yet to win a match at Flushing Meadows outside of her 2021 title run when she recorded 10 victories in a row after coming through qualifying.

Her title defence ended in the first round in 2022 as she was beaten by Alice Cornet while she missed the next edition due to injury while last year she lost in the first round against Sofia Kenin.

Current Top 32 Based on Live Rankings

1. Aryna Sabalenka
2. Coco Gauff
3. Iga Swiatek
4. Jessica Pegula
5. Mirra Andreeva
6. Madison Keys
7. Amanda Anisimova
8. Jasmine Paolini
9. Elena Rybakina
10. Emma Navarro
11. Karolina Muchova
12. Elina Svitolina
13. Ekaterina Alexandrova
14. Clara Tauson
15. Daria Kasatkina
16. Belinda Bencic
17. Ludmilla Samsonova
18. Beatriz Haddad Maia
19. Elise Mertens
20. Diana Shnaider
21. Linda Noskova
22. Victoria Mboko
23. Naomi Osaka
24. Jeļena Ostapenko
25. Sofia Kenin
26. Marta Kostyuk
27. Magdalena Frech
28. Veronika Kudermetova
29. Anna Kalinskaya
30. Dayana Yastremska
31. Leylah Fernandez
32. Mccartney Kessler

Next Five
33. Emma Raducanu
34. Magda Linette
35. Xinyu Wang
36. Rebecca Sramkova
37. Ashlyn Krueger

The post A look at Emma Raducanu’s chances of being seeded at 2025 US Open appeared first on Tennis365.

Aryna Sabalenka’s title defence at the Cincinnati Open is over as she lost in the quarter-final and she was joined on the sidelines by second seed Coco Gauff, but how many ranking points and how much money did they earn for their efforts?

World No 1 Sabalenka’s campaign was ended by Elena Rybakina as the ninth seed claimed a convincing 6-1, 6-4 victory for her fourth win over the three-time Grand Slam winner. However, the reigning US Open champion still has a lead in their head-to-head rivalry as she is 7-5 up.

Although Sabalenka has a healthy advantage over Gauff in the WTA Rankings, the American had a chance to chip away at her points lead later in the day, but she came up short as she lost 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 against Jasmine Paolini.

Seventh seed Paolini will face Veronika Kudermetova for a place in the final while Rybakina will take on Iga Swiatek in the other semi-final.

But for Sabalenka and Gauff, they will now head to New York to start their preparations for the US Open.

WTA Ranking Points Earned In Cincinnati

The WTA Tour uses a 52-week rolling, cumulative system, which means players defend points from the corresponding periods 12 months ago.

Players who win WTA 1000 events earn 1,000 ranking points, thus Sabalenka had 1,000 points to defend from her 2024 title run. Of course, she reclaimed some of those points with every win at the 2025 edition.

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A quarter-final appearance is worth 215 points so Sabalenka dropped 785 points (215 – 1000), putting her on 11,225 points in the WTA Rankings, still well clear of Gauff in second place.

The American lost in the second round in the 2024 edition so by reaching the quarter-final she earned 205 points (215 – 10) with the gap to Sabalenka now 3,351 points.

Prize Money Earned In Cincinnati

World No 1 Sabalenka was on $7,026,519 earnings for the year while her career earnings were US$37,133,342 before the start of the Cincinnati Open and she has added another $106,900 to her tally.

Reigning French Open champion Gauff, meanwhile, has earned $5,839,785 so far in 2025 and $27,204,216 over the course of her career. She also earned $106,900 in prize money.

But while that is small change for the top two, Varvara Gracheva also lost in the quarter-final and her earnings for the year was $509,923 before the tournament and that $106,900 will be a welcome boost to her bank balance.

The Frenchwoman came through qualifying and upset 11th seed Karolina Muchova in the third round before beating fellow qualifier Ella Seidel to reach the quarters. Her run was ended by Kudermetova, but she earned 150 points and surged 20 places in to No 83 in the WTA Rankings.

The post How many points and how much prize money did Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff win at Cincinnati Open? appeared first on Tennis365.

The final Grand Slam of the year is just days away and the talking points swirling in tennis are overflowing ahead of the US Open.

The revamped mixed doubles competition set to dominate the agenda ahead of the main draw at Flushing Meadows, with Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu among the eye-catching combinations scheduled to take part.

Yet once the main event gets underway, we will be presented with women’s and men’s draw that will throw up a host of headlines over the course of the 15-day tournament.

Here are a few early Tennis365 predictions of what to expect, as the biggest names in tennis chase a record-breaking $5m prize money cheque in that will be handed to the singles champions.

ALCARAZ’S BIGGEST TEST

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Can Carlos Alcaraz match Jannik Sinner on a hard court?

The answer to that question up to now has been positive, as the world No 2 has beaten his biggest rival on both indoor and outdoor hard courts in recent years.

Yet the version of Sinner that looks set to head into the US Open as the overwhelming favourite to defend the title he won last year appears to be an unstoppable force who may have too much power and precision, even for Alcaraz.

The Spaniard crashed out of the US Open early last year and while he should get to the semi-finals at least, he may be tested by a big-serving Ben Shelton on a fast hard court and he would be an outside to beat Sinner under the lights in New York.

Verdict: Sinner will hammer Alcaraz in straight sets if the ‘Big 2’ meet at the US Open.

EMMA RADUCANU ON FIRE

Emma Raducanu may have missed out on a seeding position at the US Open, but she is heading to New York in a confident mood.

Four years have passed since the Brit shocked the tennis world by winning the title at Flushing Meadows, with the tortured journey she has been on since then hard to watch at times.

Now it feels like Raducanu 2.0 is with us after he two epic battles with world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka confirmed she is mixing it with the best in the game once again.

She needs some luck with the draw in New York, but Raducanu could get into the second week if she plays at the level she has produced in recent months.

Verdict: Raducanu to make it into the quarter-finals at the US Open.

IGA SWIATEK BACK ON TOP

Iga Swiatek’s form over the last 12 months has been less than convincing, but her stunning Wimbledon win allowed her to regain some of her aura.

The powerful ground shots that fired her to five Grand Slam titles returned in time to give her a sixth at the All England Club and she has had that winning passion back in her game in her recent performances.

Swiatek has not always been at her best at the US Open, but with Sabalenka showing some signs of frailties, the Pole will fancy her chances of winning another Grand Slam title.

Verdict: Swiatek is the player to beat in the women’s draw.

WHAT ABOUT NOVAK DJOKOVIC?

The 24-time Grand Slam-winning champion has not been talked about as a contender heading into the US Open, especially as he has opted not to play in any warm-up events.

Yet he has made it through to the semi-finals of the first three majors of 2025 and has only been stopped by Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

Those two appear to be in a league of their own, but if they were to lose unexpectedly or pick up injuries, Djokovic has confirmed he is the third best player in the world when he is fit and motivated.

Verdict: He needs some fortune to go his way and some help from Sinner and Alcaraz, but Djokovic will be a contender at every Grand Slam until he calls time on his career.

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The post Carlos Alcaraz thrashed, Emma Raducanu shines, Iga Swiatek storms back – early US Open predictions appeared first on Tennis365.

Emma Raducanu’s impressive return to form in recent weeks has been highlighted by her return to the top 10 of the alternative tennis rankings.

Raducanu has shown impressive form over the last couple of months, with solid performances on clay and grass courts backed up by a run to the semi-finals of the WTA 500 tournament in Washington last month.

She went on to reach the third round at the Cincinnati Open and pushed world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka all the way in a titanic battle before losing a third set tie-break.

The performance highlighted Raducanu’s rising status in the women’s game and now the 2021 US Open champion has broken back into the top 10 of the UTR Rankings.

Raducanu has not managed to get over the line in most of her battles against top 10 rivals, but she has looked much more competitive heading into this year’s US Open and that is reflected in the updated UTR list.

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The UTR Rankings are based on the current form from the last few weeks and months rather than reflecting results that occurred up to a year ago, with the system created to promote fair and competitive play across the tennis world.

All players, regardless of age, gender, geography, or skill level, are rated on the same scale between 1.00 and 16.50 based on actual match results.

The UTR Ranking is open to players of all levels of the game and the algorithm used provides an intriguing insight into the current form of the top players in the game.

Victories against higher-ranked players are worth more in the UTR list than the official ATP or WTA Ranking, meaning they offer a more accurate reflection of the current form at the top of the game.

That algorithm ensured that Victoria Mboko has made big leaps up the UTR Rankings after her win at the WTA 1000 event in her home nation of Canada earlier this month.

Mboko beat four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka in the Canadian Open final, completing her amazing rise after she started the year ranked at No 333.

Now she is up to No 24 in the WTA Rankings and she is even higher in the UTR Rankings at No 19.

Intriguingly, Coco Gauff leads the current URT Rankings ahead of WTA No 1 Aryna Sabalenka, with these rankings offering plenty of talking points.

Updated UTR Rankings

1. Coco Gauff

2. Aryna Sabalenka

3. Iga Swiatek

4. Mirra Andreeva

5. Zheng Qinwen

6. Elena Rybakina

7. Ekaterina Alexandrova

8. Elina Svitolina

9. Emma Raducanu

10. Marketa Vondrousova

11. Jessica Pegula

12. Jasmine Paolini

13. Madison Keys

14. Paula Badosa

15. Liudmila Samsonova

16. Amanda Anisimova

17. Elise Mertens

18. Noami Osaka

19. Victoria Mboko

20. Belinda Bencic

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