The much-talked-about pairing of Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz fell to an early exit in the US Open’s mixed doubles competition on Tuesday, losing their first-round match and failing to win a set.

Italian doubles experts Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori successfully retained their US Open mixed doubles crown in a tournament that sparked fierce debate within tennis circles. The defending champions triumphed 6-3 5-7 10-6 against singles stars Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud in a match that concluded near midnight in New York.

Grand slams should follow US Open with star-studded mixed doubles - Raducanu’s partnership with Carlos Alcaraz drew a huge amount of attention.