Emma Raducanu given preferential treatment as British star's partner makes desperate plea

Katie Boulter and her fiance, Alex de Minaur, have made a desperate plea to be included in the US Open mixed doubles this year. The event has been drastically revamped as a standalone competition before the singles get underway, with big-name pairings given wildcards and high-ranking doubles players left out.

The Flushing Meadows decision-makers have faced significant backlash. Last year's mixed doubles winners, Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, described the scheduling as a "profound injustice" and the new format as "a pseudo-exhibition focused only on entertainment and show." They have received a wildcard entry.

There has been an overwhelming focus on singles rankings, with eight men and six women ranked in the top 10 comprising much of the 14 teams named so far.

The blockbuster teams include Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz, Jack Draper and Paula Badosa, and Novak Djokovic and Olga Daniljovic.

Wimbledon singles champions Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner had direct entry with their respective partners, Casper Ruud and Emma Navarro.

But while Raducanu and Alcaraz were among the teams to receive special treatment through a wildcard, having rarely played doubles and never together, Boulter and De Minaur have so far been ignored.

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The couple, who are set to tie the knot next year, have not been awarded the same opportunity. That is despite being one of the most high-profile pairings on tour and competing at several events together.

World No.8 De Minaur replied directly to the US Open's announcement, writing "Katie and I would like to ask for a WC (wildcard) pretty pretty please."

The Aussie could yet get his wish, with the tournament still waiting to hand out two more wildcards to complete the event taking place on August 19/20.

Aside from competing in a first-of-its-kind tournament alongside his fiancee, De Minaur also faces the prospect of missing out on £750,000 in prize money, which goes to the winning team of the two-day event.

And De Minaur has already stated his desire to play alongside Boulter at the Arthur Ashe Stadium or Louis Armstrong Stadium.

"We're definitely going to be keen to try and play if they allow us too," said De Minaur at Queen's Club this summer. "If that's an option, we'd definitely be keen. It's not really the normal set of rules, obviously it's incredibly early for them to already have a cut-off."

The format has been reduced to first-to-four-game sets with no-ad scoring.

The USTA also excluded from the initial announcement the partnerships of Jasmine Paolini and Lorenzo Musetti, Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios.