"At least we kind of know each other": Alex de Minaur takes dig at other teams hopeful of US Open mixed doubles wildcard entry

Australia’s Alex de Minaur has taken a jibe at the other teams willing to participate in the US Open mixed doubles event this year. For the first time, the fourth Grand Slam of the year will be played in two separate phases. The first phase will feature a mixed doubles event, which will be played a few days before the start of the main draw.

The mixed doubles competition will be a standalone event, with a prize money of $1 million up for grabs for the participants. It is for this reason that some of the biggest names in tennis are set to take part in the competition, who would otherwise not have played in the mixed doubles event.

There will be 16 teams participating in the competition, with eight teams gaining direct entry into the main round based on their singles rankings and the other eight receiving a wildcard entry. A few days ago, the US Open’s official social media account revealed that 25 teams have signed up for the competition. One of them will be of De Minaur and his fiancée, Boulter. De Minuar has been recently quoted in a report by the English media outlet Daily Express, where he stated that he and Boulter, in his opinion, have a better chance of receiving a wildcard because of their five-year strong relationship and also because the two have played together in other events.

“We'd be definitely asking for a wildcard, and we're definitely hoping for a wildcard. I think, you know, yeah, why not give a little bit of love to a tennis couple?” said De Minaur. “You know, we have been going strong, it's been what, five years already, getting married next year. I think we're showing that there is good chemistry between us. I think some of the other partnerships, they haven't really said a word to each other in their lives, right? At least we kind of know each other, so we can hopefully show some good chemistry and hopefully play some good matches there.”

In the singles category, De Minaur is having a good season. The 26-year-old has secured 30 wins in 43 matches across different competitions. His most recent win came in the second round of the ongoing DC Open, where he defeated China’s Yunchaokete Bu in straight sets with a score of 7-6, 6-2. Before taking part in his first match of the competition in Washington, De Minaur spoke to ATPTour.com, where he expressed optimism about his own future going into a busy season on the hardcourt. De Minaur was of the opinion that he believes he is in the best possible shape and is ready to break some ‘barriers’ to fight for major titles against some of the best players in the competition.

“I’ve got the experience now. I’ve got the knowledge, the physicality side of things. Everything is just there for me to go out and perform,” said De Minaur. “I can really have a swing these next three or four years and really show that I’m at my peak and break through some barriers. I’m ready to go deep into tournaments. It’s just up to myself to put those results right. It was somewhat difficult at the start of the year and mentally taxing knowing that I had zeros on my ranking because I missed three Masters (Montreal, Cincinnati, and Shanghai). I knew it would be important to put myself in a good position for the back end of the year when I have little to defend, giving hope that I could gain some serious points and momentum and build on the ranking. So going into the tail end of the year, I’m excited for the opportunity and hoping I can play good tennis and take care of my chances.”