Djokovic and Sabalenka lose U.S. Open mixed doubles opener

Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka were eliminated from the U.S. Open mixed doubles tournament on Tuesday, losing their first-round match to Kateřina Siniaková and Henry Patten at Flushing Meadows in Queens, New York.

The match ended 4-2, 1-4, 2-10 in favor of Siniaková and Patten. Djokovic and Sabalenka won the opening set but struggled in the subsequent frames, with the final set decided by a tiebreak that went to 10 points.

The loss continued a pattern from the previous year in which singles champions have faced difficulty against doubles specialists in the mixed doubles competition. Djokovic and Sabalenka were among the star-studded field competing in the tournament, which features several past Grand Slam champions.

Later on Tuesday, another high-profile pairing was scheduled to compete. Carlos Alcaraz and Serena Williams, described as the most anticipated duo of the tournament, were set to take the court. Additionally, Italians Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, the two-time defending champions, were also scheduled to play.

The mixed doubles format at the U.S. Open consists of best-of-three sets to determine winners.