Stefanos Tsitsipas suffered a frustrating defeat in Washington, where his emotions boiled over during a three-set loss to Alex de Minaur. The Greek player, who had recently rediscovered form by winning his first ATP Tour title of 2026 against Raphael Collignon in the Swiss Open final earlier this month, was expected to carry that momentum forward. Instead, he fell 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in a match that never found a high standard for long.

Tsitsipas arrived with a commanding 12-1 record against De Minaur, but that advantage meant little once the match turned ugly in the deciding set. He finished with 52 unforced errors and increasingly struggled to manage the pressure as the errors mounted. Midway through the third set, he lost his temper and smashed his racket, a burst of anger that brought a code violation.

Throughout the contest, Tsitsipas was also seen grumbling to his coaching team. He appeared to direct part of his frustration toward his Wilson Blade racket, while the windy conditions only added to the confusion in an error-heavy display.

For De Minaur, it was a first victory since his marriage to Katie Boulter, and he suggested the short turnaround after the wedding may have affected his own level. Still, he found a way through an awkward evening.

“Coming in, I really didn’t have too many expectations,” he stated.

“I’m glad that I was able to find a way in a tricky match. It wasn’t pretty tennis, but I did just enough to get over the line and I’m happy with that.

“Stefanos has been an incredible player for a very long time. He’s able to really hold that inside-out forehand really well and if you’re not able to find his backhand, you’re in a lot of trouble.

“In the past, I didn’t serve the best when I played him. Today I changed it up a little bit and it ended up working out for me.”

The win now sends De Minaur into a next-round meeting with Cruz Hewitt, the son of former world No 1 Lleyton. De Minaur, who has a close relationship with Hewitt through his role as Australia’s Davis Cup captain, welcomed the matchup.

“It’s gonna be a lot of fun,” added De Minaur, as he spoke as young Hewitt. “I’m really excited for him and this match-up. He’s playing amazingly and he has totally earned his place in this draw. I’m looking forward to this match-up for sure.”

Novak Djokovic is due to step into US Open doubles action with Aryna Sabalenka, with the two set to appear together as a pairing for the first time.

While Djokovic is best known for his singles work, his doubles career has occasionally surfaced in notable moments. He partnered Fernando Verdasco in Dubai in 2025 to mark the end of Verdasco’s career, and he has already teamed up with Stefanos Tsitsipas during the 2026 season.

The bigger picture, though, is his record in the format. Djokovic made his doubles debut in 2004 and, since then, has posted 67 wins against 83 defeats. That leaves him with a 46% win rate when playing with a partner, a modest return for a player of his standing.

Even so, the Serbian has produced a number of significant doubles results. He was part of Serbia’s 2010 Davis Cup title run and has also reached four other semi finals in the discipline.

His lone ATP doubles title arrived at the Queen’s Club Championships in 2010, when he teamed with Jonathan Erlich to lift the trophy. Djokovic has also been a finalist twice more. He and Radek Stepanek finished runners-up at the 2007 Adelaide International, while Djokovic and Carlos Gomez-Herrera lost in the Mallorca Open final.

At Masters level, he reached the semi finals in Indian Wells, Monte Carlo and the Canadian Open. Those runs included partnerships with Fabio Fognini, Viktor Troicki and Janko Tipsarevic. In 2021, at the Tokyo Olympics, Djokovic and Nina Stojanović placed fourth for Serbia.

His only previous US Open doubles outing came in 2006, when he and Jimmy Wang were eliminated in the opening round by Thomas Johansson and Robert Lindstedt.

Djokovic’s doubles record may sit well below his singles standard, but it still reflects a body of work built across limited appearances and several notable results.

Carlos Alcaraz is nearing a comeback after five months away from ATP Tour competition, with his return now beginning to take clearer shape. A wrist injury picked up at the Barcelona Open has sidelined him from April through August, forcing him to miss Roland Garros, Wimbledon and three Masters events. That absence has also triggered a drop in the rankings, with Alexander Zverev moving ahead of him to World No. 2 after his Roland Garros title run and his appearance in the Wimbledon final.

Alcaraz is now on the entry list for the Cincinnati Open, which starts on 11th August, giving him a first chance to start climbing back up the standings. He has also been placed on the US Open entry list, where he is aiming to win the Grand Slam for the first time since the 2025 season and for the third time in his career.

His 2026 return schedule currently includes four events:

Cincinnati Open, 11th-23rd August
US Open, 23rd August-13th September
Laver Cup, 25th-27th September
Six Kings Slam, 21st-24th October

Beyond the hard-court swing, Alcaraz has been confirmed for two exhibition appearances later in the season. He will again feature at the Laver Cup, held this year at The O2 Arena in London from 25th to 27th September, as Team Europe tries to reclaim the title from Team World. The line-up includes Rafael Jodar, Casper Ruud, Alexander Zverev, Flavio Cobolli and Jakub Mensik, while Team World will feature Ben Shelton, Taylor Fritz, Alex de Minaur, Alexander Bublik, Learner Tien and Tommy Paul.

Alcaraz is also set to return to the Six Kings Slam for a third straight year. The event takes place in Saudi Arabia from 21st to 24th October, offers $6 million in prize money and will be broadcast worldwide on Netflix. Alcaraz has never won the tournament, while Jannik Sinner lifted the title in both 2024 and 2025. Alcaraz, Sinner, Novak Djokovic, Zverev, Taylor Fritz and De Minaur are all listed.

It remains unclear what else Alcaraz will play, but if Cincinnati and Flushing Meadows go well, Shanghai, Paris and the ATP Finals could follow.