EMMA RADUCANU and Carlos Alcaraz are set to team up for the US Open mixed doubles.
The superstar duo are set to take on Jack Draper and Jessica Pegula in round one, meaning that both British No1s will do battle.
The revamped mixed doubles event has generated plenty of buzz, with several global superstars signed up to play.
But some of the changes have proven to be controversial, with doubles specialists in particular unhappy at largely being frozen out.
So what exactly has changed?
Well for a start, prize money has skyrocketed.
Winners of this year’s event will pocket $1million (£740k) – five times what last year’s champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori earned.
It is also taking place in the week before the singles begins, spanning two days – with teams playing two matches per session.
The draw has halved from 32 teams to 16 for this year’s edition.
And perhaps most controversially, doubles rankings have not been taken into account when deciding entrants.
Instead, eight teams entered off the back of their combined singles rankings.
While the other eight spots were determined by wildcards handed out by the USTA.
Among those wildcards are Raducanu and Alcaraz, as well as Novak Djokovic with Serbian compatriot Olga Danilovic.
The format of the matches themselves will also be very different.
Each contest will be best of three sets, only up to four games rather than six.
If sets reach 4-4, they will be determined by a traditional tiebreak to seven.
Should matches be tied at one set all, a tiebreak to 10 will settle the contest, rather than a full third set.
Games will be no-ad, meaning that if they go to deuce, they will go to a deciding point.
The final will be a slightly extended version of the shortened format, with sets up to six instead of four, although there will still be no-ad scoring, and a tiebreak to 10 instead of a full deciding third set.
While many fans are excited, or at least curious, to watch the revamped event, it has also received plenty of criticism.
‘SAD TO SEE’
Two-time mixed doubles Grand Slam champion Jan Zielinski wrote on social media when the changes were announced: “No communication with the players, no thought behind what it means to some peoples careers, no respect to the history and traditions. Sad to see.”
While when the stacked field was announced, Zielinski added: “I guess winning two grand slams in mixed doubles in one year is not enough to get an invitation to US Open “exhibition” event.
“Thanks for taking away the opportunity to compete and making it fair to everyone.”
‘I LOVE IT’
Alcaraz, meanwhile, is excited to compete – and will do so having won the Cincinnati Open barely 24 hours earlier.
Ahead of his 600-mile private jet dash to New York, the Spaniard said: “The scheduling is not the best to be honest, playing tomorrow. But the concept of the mixed doubles, I love it.
It’s going to be new for me, which I love. I’m going to have so much fun, playing with Emma.
“I will try to enjoy as much as I can. I will try to see how the court is going to be, the balls, everything.
“I will treat it as a really important and good preparation for me. I will try to be at my best tomorrow after the trip to New York.
“I’m probably going to sleep late, but I will try to bring my best tennis to help Emma get the win then let’s see if we will get it, it’s going to be fun and great to have those matches.”
Should Alcaraz and Raducanu triumph over Draper and Pegula, they will face either Djokovic and Danilovic or Mirra Andreeva and Daniil Medvedev in round two.
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