Andreeva, Rublev oust defending US Open mixed doubles champions

Former champions Stan Wawrinka and Emma Raducanu are among a growing list of notable players joining world number one Jannik Sinner on the sidelines for the 2026 US Open. Sinner remains the biggest absentee from the final Grand Slam of the season after withdrawing because of a persistent right knee injury that has kept him out of competition since winning Wimbledon last month. The Italian had returned to the practice court in Monte Carlo in an attempt to recover in time for New York, but ultimately decided that he needed more time before returning to competition.

 

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Britain's Jack Draper and Denmark's Holger Rune are also missing from the men's draw as they continue to deal with long-term injuries. Draper remains troubled by the left arm problem that has severely limited his 2026 season, while former world number four Rune is still working his way back from the serious Achilles injury he suffered last year. Brazilian rising star Joao Fonseca became another high-profile casualty on Monday when he withdrew because of an abdominal injury. The 20-year-old, who reached his first Grand Slam quarter-final at the French Open earlier this year, underwent tests after suffering the problem during the Cincinnati Open and determined that he required more time to recover. Wawrinka will also be absent from Flushing Meadows, although not because of injury. The 41-year-old, who is playing his final professional season, did not receive a main-draw wildcard and opted against entering qualifying, denying the 2016 champion one final appearance at the tournament he won a decade ago. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina is among the other notable men's withdrawals, with his absence allowing Alexei Popyrin to move directly into the main draw.

 

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The women's tournament has also lost one of its former champions, with Raducanu unable to return to the scene of her remarkable 2021 triumph. The Briton remains sidelined by the stress injury that forced her to miss Wimbledon and will now sit out a second consecutive Grand Slam. Canadian rising star Victoria Mboko and American Hailey Baptiste are among the other notable absentees from the women's field because of knee injuries. Despite the growing list of withdrawals, plenty of star power remains in New York. Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz will lead the men's field in Sinner's absence alongside Novak Djokovic, Alexander Zverev and Felix Auger-Aliassime, while Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff are among the leading contenders for the women's title. The 2026 US Open main draw begins on August 30 and runs until September 13, with the action live on SPOTV NOW.

 

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MotoGP heads to MotorLand Aragon this weekend for the 2026 Aragon Grand Prix as the championship enters another important stage of the title fight. Ahead of the action in Spain, live on SPOTV NOW, here are five things to know.

 

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Marc's personal playground

Few circuits have belonged to one rider quite like MotorLand Aragon has to Marc Marquez. The Spaniard has won seven MotoGP races at the circuit, beginning with his maiden Aragon triumph during his rookie season in 2013 before adding victories in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 with Honda. After missing both MotorLand races in 2020 through injury, Marquez returned to the top step in spectacular fashion with Gresini Ducati in 2024, ending a 1,043-day wait for a Grand Prix victory. He then dominated again as a factory Ducati rider last year to claim his seventh win at the circuit. Only Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo have also won multiple MotoGP races at MotorLand, with two victories each.

Bagnaia's maiden MotoGP victory

Francesco Bagnaia has since become a two-time MotoGP world champion, but his first premier-class victory came at MotorLand Aragon in 2021. The Italian started from pole and spent the closing laps defending against Marquez, who launched several overtaking attempts during an intense battle between the pair. Bagnaia resisted every challenge and eventually crossed the line just 0.673 seconds ahead to claim his maiden MotoGP victory, beginning a run that would ultimately lead to his first world championship the following season.

All-Spanish podium lockouts

MotorLand Aragon has produced three MotoGP podium lockouts by riders from the same country, putting it level with Jerez for the most at a single circuit involving Spanish riders. Spain swept the podium in 2017 through Marc Marquez, Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo, before repeating the feat at the 2020 Aragon Grand Prix with Alex Rins, Alex Marquez and Joan Mir. Another all-Spanish podium followed in 2024 when Marc Marquez led Jorge Martin and Pedro Acosta home. Meanwhile, Motegi, Brno and Silverstone have each produced two all-Spanish podium sweeps.

Honda's happy hunting ground

Marquez's extraordinary record has also helped make MotorLand one of Honda's most successful venues of the MotoGP era. The Japanese manufacturer has claimed seven premier-class victories at the circuit, with five coming through Marquez and the other two courtesy of Pedrosa in 2012 and Casey Stoner a year earlier. Honda has enjoyed plenty of success in the smaller classes too, particularly in Moto3, where its riders won six of the seven races held at MotorLand between 2016 and 2021, including the additional Teruel Grand Prix staged during the pandemic-affected 2020 season. That second 2020 weekend also produced a memorable qualifying result for Honda when Takaaki Nakagami became the first Japanese rider to take a MotoGP pole position since Makoto Tamada in 2004.

Zarco set to return after longest absence

Johann Zarco is set to make his MotoGP comeback at Aragon after missing six consecutive rounds with the left knee ligament injury he suffered at the Catalan Grand Prix in May. The Frenchman opted against surgery and had initially targeted a September return, but his recovery has progressed sufficiently for LCR Honda to bring his comeback forward, subject to him passing the mandatory medical examination at MotorLand. It represents the longest absence of Zarco's remarkably durable Grand Prix career, which began in 2009. His previous longest spell away came in 2019, when he missed Aragon, Thailand and Japan after his relationship with KTM ended prematurely. He returned for the final three rounds with LCR Honda, the same team he now represents full-time.

 

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World number one Jannik Sinner has withdrawn from the 2026 US Open after failing to recover from a right knee injury, dealing a major blow to the men's singles field just days before the final Grand Slam of the season. The Italian confirmed his decision on Friday after returning to training in Monte Carlo, where he and his medical team determined that his knee required more time to recover.

 

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“Even though I have been working hard with my team and my medical staff, we have now had to make the difficult decision that I will not be able to compete at the US Open this year,” he wrote on his social media pages. “We have been back on court in Monte Carlo over the last couple of days and have realised that I still need more time to recover from my right knee issue. “I’m obviously very sad and disappointed, as New York has a special place in my heart. I was very much looking forward to coming back and playing in the electric atmosphere in front of the great fans there.” Sinner has not competed since winning his fifth Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon, with the knee problem subsequently forcing him to miss the Canadian and Cincinnati Opens. His absence also means there will be no repeat of last year's US Open final against Carlos Alcaraz, who confirmed just a day earlier that he will return to defend his title after spending four months on the sidelines with a right wrist injury.

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Alcaraz has not played competitively since April and missed both the French Open and Wimbledon, as well as the North American hard-court events in Canada and Cincinnati, but has resumed full training ahead of his return in New York. The Spaniard's comeback takes on even greater significance following Sinner's withdrawal, with the defending champion now among the leading contenders in a men's draw that also features Alexander Zverev, Novak Djokovic and Felix Auger-Aliassime. Djokovic will continue his pursuit of a record-extending 25th Grand Slam singles title, although questions remain over the 39-year-old's physical condition following a difficult North American hard-court swing. Sinner's withdrawal nevertheless removes one of the biggest obstacles facing the rest of the field, with the Italian having won the US Open in 2024 before finishing runner-up to Alcaraz last year. The 2026 US Open main draw begins on August 30 at Flushing Meadows, with the tournament to be shown live on SPOTV NOW.

Marc Marquez reportedly played a role in convincing Isack Hadjar not to rush his return from a hand injury. The Red Bull driver sustained the minor injury during a boxing training session over the summer break. The Frenchman had hoped to compete at this weekend's Dutch Grand Prix but ultimately withdrew from the Formula One event at Zandvoort and was replaced by Liam Lawson. Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda returned to the grid with Racing Bulls to fill the vacancy left by Lawson.

 

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French sports journalist Julien Febreau reported that Hadjar sought advice from Marquez before making his decision. "Hadjar wanted to be here this weekend and then he called Marquez who advised him against coming back too soon," Febreau said on-air during the first practice session. Marquez's advice carries particular significance given his own injury history, most notably the serious right arm injury that disrupted several years of his MotoGP career. The Spaniard fractured his right humerus at the 2020 Spanish Grand Prix and attempted to return immediately after undergoing surgery, only to withdraw from the following race weekend. Complications subsequently required further operations and kept Marquez out for the remainder of the 2020 season and the opening rounds of 2021, while another major operation on the same arm followed in 2022. He eventually rebuilt his career and returned to the top of MotoGP, but his experience remains one of the clearest examples of the potential consequences of rushing back from a serious injury. Hadjar instead opted to give his hand more time to recover, with his attention now turning towards a possible return at the Italian Grand Prix.

 

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