Over the past few weeks, there has been a lot of drama surrounding the 2025 US Open mixed doubles. Talking about the sole reason behind this revamp, the USTA said, “The goal [is] driving greater awareness for this storied competition, giving fans both in attendance and across the globe the opportunity to see tennis’ biggest stars—both men and women—compete side-by-side for a US Open Grand Slam title.” However, there were a few doubles specialists like Jan Zielinski, Ellen Perez, and the Italian duo, Sara Errani-Andrea Vavassori, who raised their eyebrows seeing this star-studded event. Amid all these, we also saw plenty of withdrawals…

Players like Emma Navarro, Paula Badosa, and Tommy Paul have already withdrawn their names from the mixed doubles event at the US Open. Navarro decided to compete in Monterrey, Mexico, next week instead of playing in this event, while Badosa has still been nursing her back injury. Tommy Paul? Well, coming off an injury, Paul has decided to prioritize singles preparations. Following their withdrawals, we saw Jessica Pegula joining hands with her new doubles partner, Jack Draper. Jasmine Paolini and Lorenzo Musetti have moved into the draw via direct entry as a result of withdrawals and repairs. Jannik Sinner has re-paired with 10-time doubles champion Katerina Siniakova.

Sinner and Siniakova will be facing Alexander Zverev and Belinda Bencic in their first match. But as things stand, danger looms for Sinner’s fierce rival, Carlos Alcaraz, and his doubles partner Emma Raducanu! The reimagined mixed doubles tournament at the 2025 US Open will be played on Tuesday, August 19, and Wednesday, August 20, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, with $1 million in prize money being awarded to the winners of this event. Just a few hours ago, the  US Open announced the full 16-team field and the draw for the blockbuster event. As per the draw, Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu will have to face Jack Draper and Jessica Pegula in their first match!

This will be a big challenge for these former US Open champions! Jessica Pegula is a well-established player in not only singles but also in doubles and mixed doubles. She has achieved astonishing feats. For example, in her doubles career, Pegula has won seven titles as of now, and she also reached the top spot in the doubles ranking on September 11, 2023. Other than reaching the final in the doubles event at the 2022 French Open, Pegula also has a record of making it to the mixed doubles final alongside Austin Krajicek in 2023. That time they were defeated by Anna Danilina and Harri Heliövaara by 6-3,6-4.

So, Pegula comes with a vast experience in doubles, but Jack Draper is still a newbie in these events. The 23-year-old Brit is currently ranked 204th in the world in doubles, and he is mostly known for his achievements in singles. This year, he has already won a title, and Draper is ranked 5th in the singles. Considering his incredible form in 2025, surely this is going to be a tough challenge for both Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu. How did both Alcaraz and Raducanu react to getting the chance to play together at the US Open mixed doubles?

Carlos Alcaraz is excited to play alongside Emma Raducany at the US Open

Ever since the news broke out about their partnership at the 2025 US Open mixed doubles event, both Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu have become the talk of the town. Both these players are of the same age (i.e., 22 years) and they have already tasted success at the US Open in their singles careers. Raducanu won the US Open title in 2021, and a year later, Alcaraz did the same in the men’s singles.

In June this year, during an interview with The Guardian, Emma Raducanu opened up about her incredible bond with old friend, Carlos Alcaraz. She said, “It is nice and I think, for all of us, we really value those connections that we had from when we were young. Because when you become a bit more known or a bit more successful, you just find yourself reverting back to people you knew from a young age and because that’s a real genuine connection, because it becomes very busy and you have a lot more friends – but the ones that you’ve known for a long time mean a lot more to you.” There have been several rumors surrounding their relationship in the last few years.

Taking a deeper dive at their strong camaraderie, they first got to know each other at the 2021 Wimbledon, and ever since then, they’ve managed to build a “good relationship.” Seeing Alcaraz’s incredible drop volleys at the Queen’s Club, Raducanu even jokingly asked him to save some of that magic for the mega event in NY. Surely, this match is going to be a treat to watch for all the tennis lovers.

But coming to Carlos Alcaraz’s reaction to teaming up with Raducanu, he said, “She’s going to be the boss! I’m super excited about it. It’s going to be great… I’ve known Emma a really long time, and I have a really good relationship with her. It’s going to be interesting.” Last year, after seeing Alcaraz’s brilliance at Wimbledon, Raducanu said that she wants to emulate some of his shots. With this mixed doubles event at the US Open, she will now get a closer look at his techniques, and perhaps she’ll also be keen to learn a few tips and tricks from her close friend. 

Just like all of us, even Jack Draper is excited to see this ‘AlcarCanu’ partnership. He feels Emma Raducanu will have a lot of fun playing with Carlos Alcaraz. But do you think they can beat Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper in their first match?