"He kept texting me nonstop, begging me to play," Sabalenka discusses her upcoming mixed doubles partnership with Dimitrov at the US Open

In an interview shared by Tennis Channel, Sabalenka reflected on the announcement of the mixed doubles pairings for the US Open. For her first appearance in the event, the world No. 1 will team up with Bulgaria’s Dimitrov under the new format introduced by the U.S. organizers:

"He kept texting me nonstop, begging me to play. I was like, 'Dude, I don’t want to play.' But he kept pleading, and I finally thought, 'Okay, you got me.' I wasn’t really aware of how mixed doubles worked at the US Open. I asked him, 'What are you even talking about? Why would we play mixed doubles?' He explained how it used to be before the US Open. But no one had approached me, so I didn’t even know if I was invited. We made this decision right after the Australian Open."

Currently in Berlin for her first grass-court tournament of the season, the Belarusian secured her spot in the quarterfinals by defeating Masarova (6-2, 7-6) and will now face Rybakina, the 2022 Wimbledon champion.