The much-anticipated partnership of Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz lasted just 50 minutes at the US Open mixed doubles, as fellow Brit Jack Draper and American Jessica Pegula delivered a commanding performance to reach the semifinals of the reimagined tournament.
Top seeds Draper and Pegula defeated the fan-favorite pairing of Alcaraz and Raducanu 4-2, 4-2 in the first round on Tuesday, before returning later to demolish Mirra Andreeva and Daniil Medvedev 4-1, 4-1 in the quarterfinals.
The match marked a fascinating battle between Britain’s top-ranked players, with Draper ultimately prevailing over his compatriot. Alcaraz, fresh from winning his sixth singles title of the season at Cincinnati just the day before, got off to a shaky start and was broken immediately in his first service game.
The highlight of the Alcaraz-Raducanu partnership came in the second set when the Spaniard hunted down a wide and dipping backhand from Draper, swiping it down the line and receiving a look of astonishment from Raducanu. Despite these flashes of brilliance from the former US Open champions, the top seeds proved too strong.
“It feels great,” said Pegula after the victory. “We’re really excited to be able to close it out. We played against really good players, got two wins today and this has been a lot of fun, so we’re excited to be here tomorrow.”
The semifinals will take place Wednesday at Arthur Ashe Stadium, where Draper and Pegula face third seeds Iga Świątek and Casper Ruud. Świątek and Alcaraz both lifted singles titles at the Cincinnati Open on Monday before flying into New York.
Tournament Controversy and Format Changes
The mixed doubles event has been completely revamped for 2025, moving from its traditional slot during the main tournament to August 19-20, with $1 million in prize money at stake for the winners of the 16-team event. Matches consist of best-of-three sets up to four games, with sudden-death deuce and a match tie-break to 10 points instead of a third set.
The new format has stirred controversy in the tennis community. While there have been more eyeballs on the event and fans have a unique opportunity to see the game’s biggest stars play alongside and against each other, it comes at the expense of doubles specialists losing the chance to win a grand slam.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the only doubles specialists in the draw – defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori – won both of their matches, defeating Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz and then Karolina Muchová and Andrey Rublev.
“When we got the wild card … I was grateful to play. At least there were not so many doubles players. We are also playing for them,” Vavassori told reporters, emphasizing the importance of representing doubles specialists in the field.
US Open 2025: Main Tournament Overview
The main US Open tournament runs from August 24 to September 7, expanding to 15 competition days for the first time by starting on a Sunday instead of Monday. The US Open joins the French Open and Australian Open in expanding the schedule, with Wimbledon now the only Grand Slam tournament that begins on Monday and lasts just 14 days.
The 2025 edition features significantly increased prize money, with total prize money reaching $90 million – a 20% increase over 2024. Singles champions will each receive $5 million, representing a 38.89% increase over the previous year. Even first-round losers will earn $110,000, up 10% from 2024.
Key Storylines to Watch
Defending Champions Under Pressure: Defending champion Jannik Sinner leads a men’s field that includes 2022 titlist Carlos Alcaraz, Alexander Zverev, home favorite Taylor Fritz, and four-time winner Novak Djokovic. On the women’s side, defending champion Aryna Sabalenka has not won a Slam since Flushing Meadows last year and is fighting to become the first player to successfully defend the title since Serena Williams in 2014.
Venus Williams’ Comeback: The 45-year-old Venus Williams returns to the US Open with a wildcard in the women’s singles competition, continuing her comeback tour two years after her last appearance. She has already featured in the mixed doubles with Reilly Opelka.
American Hopes: All three Grand Slam finals in the 2025 season have featured a USA female player, with pressure mounting to complete the set on home turf. Roland-Garros champion Coco Gauff returns to where she won her first major in 2023, while Australian Open winner Madison Keys was a 2017 finalist.
Technology Improvements: Video reviews that allow for checking certain situations like double bounces are now available on all 17 competition courts, expanding from just eight courts last year.
With the mixed doubles providing an entertaining appetizer, all eyes now turn to whether the sport’s biggest stars can deliver another memorable US Open when the main draw begins this weekend.
