Aryna Sabalenka accuses male tennis player of 'non-stop begging her'

World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka has claimed that Grigor Dmitrov was "begging" her to play mixed doubles with him at the US Open this year. The category has been revamped for the tournament at Flushing Meadows and will take place during the same week as singles qualifying.

That has freed up many of the game's top stars to participate. Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz have already confirmed they will form an exciting partnership, while Jannik Sinner will play alongside Emma Navarro. Novak Djokovic has also entered with compatriot Olga Danilovic.

However, it seems Sabalenka needed plenty of persuasion to join forces with Dmitrov, 34. Speaking at the Berlin Open, where she was beaten in the semi-final by Marketa Vondrousova, the Belarusian revealed how their partnership came about.

"He was texting me, non-stop, begging me to play," she joked. "I was like, 'Man, I don't want to play.' But he was begging and I was like, 'Ok, you got it'."

However, the 27-year-old also conceded that she was oblivious to the new format when she first received the request. Once she was explained, she agreed in February to team up with the Bulgarian, and the pair are now set to be one of the most high-profile teams involved.

"I didn't really know about the mixed doubles situation at the US Open," she added. "I was like, 'What are you talking about? Why would we play mixed doubles?'

"He was explaining how it was before the US Open. But no one approached me, so I didn't know if I was invited. We decided probably straight after the Australian Open."

The top eight teams will be seeded based on singles rankings. The remaining eight teams will be awarded wildcard entries, with the revolutionary format having divided opinion among fans and pundits so far.