Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu are one of many standout teams for the US Open mixed doubles event.
Tennis fans were shocked by the US Open’s announcement of 16 teams that have signed up for the revamped mixed doubles event.
This included two former US Open champions Alcaraz and Raducanu, who will be playing together for the first time.
While many people are excited about this team, former doubles world number one Rennae Stubbs has a different view.
Rennae Stubbs has controversial take about Carlos Alcaraz’s doubles team with Emma Raducanu
Stubbs has previously been critical of the US Open for their decision to change the mixed doubles competition.
The Australian, who won the US Open mixed doubles event in 2001, has now spoken on her podcast about the teams taking part in this year’s event.
Despite Alcaraz and Raducanu being one of the standout teams from the lineup, Stubbs believes that they will be the weakest pair.
Stubbs also suggested that the partnership of Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud could also struggle.
“I would argue that they [Alcaraz and Raducanu] are – and this is nothing against either of them, just talking from a perspective of doubles everybody, don’t lose your minds, because you all know how I feel about both of them,” said Stubbs. “I have talked about them both very glowingly over the last couple of years. That is the weakest pair. That and maybe Iga and Casper.
“The only reason is that there is a little bit of a weakness in the doubles aspect. Iga is a great returner, good server. Casper I’m not sure how great he is in the doubles perspective.
“Carlos, I saw him play doubles with Rafa and he was like a little lost puppy out there. Didn’t know where to hit the ball half the time or where to stand on the court and as great a player as he is, and he is arguably the best in the world right now, I don’t know how his doubles acumen is.”
What has happened when Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu have played doubles before?
As Stubbs previously suggested, neither Alcaraz and Raducanu have much doubles experience and this will be both of their first experience playing at a Grand Slam tournament not exclusively in singles.
In fact, Raducanu only won her first WTA doubles match at the Queen’s Club Championships last week with Katie Boulter.
This was just the second tournament that Raducanu had played doubles, but she has admitted she would like to play more in the future.
Alcaraz played doubles with Rafael Nadal at the Paris Olympics last year, but is also fairly inexperienced in the format.
The Spaniard has only ever won 54% of his previous matches, and Alcaraz also lost both of his mixed doubles matches at the Hopman Cup with Rebeka Masarova in 2023.
Stubbs also mentioned Ruud and Swiatek as a potential weaker partnership, but they have slightly more experience.
This includes Swiatek reaching the women’s doubles final at Roland Garros in 2021, as well as the Australian Open mixed doubles quarter-finals in 2020.
While Ruud once reached the men’s doubles quarter-finals at Wimbledon in 2021.
Both of these two teams will put Stubbs’ predictions to test when the US Open mixed doubles event takes place on August 19 and 20.
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