The new format of the US Open mixed doubles has split opinion. The novel short format and scheduling before the main tournament are not for everyone. However, those changes, and the handsome prize money now on offer, has attracted the big names and we’ve had some really exciting pairings take part.
On the 19th of August we saw a match that attracted a huge amount of attention in the media and excitement among fans. The number one seeds, home favourite and world number four Jessica Pegula, plus the male British number one Jack Draper, won 4-2, 4-2 to advance to the quarters. In that opening game they saw off the glamorous pairing of Britain’s top-ranked female player, Emma Raducanu, and the man ranked second in the world, Carlos Alcaraz.
Despite Pegula being from Buffalo, New York, the crowd at Flushing Meadows seemed to be favouring Raducanu and Alcaraz but support was not enough, as the wild card duo were easily beaten by the top seeds. Not much more than 24 hours after the Spaniard had won the Cincinnati Open, he took to the court alongside the woman he is definitely not dating to try and overcome the favourites.
It was a raucous atmosphere that greeted the players as they stepped onto the court, with Alcaraz hugely popular everywhere and Raducanu still very fondly remembered by the New York crowd after her dizzying exploits in 2021. Traditionalists would no doubt have preferred to see genuine doubles specialists taking part. And while all four players clearly tried hard, there is little doubt that it would have meant more to players for whom doubles is their career.
The 2024 champions, Sara Errani and Andrea Vavussori, had called the new format a “profound injustice”, though they were eventually granted a wild card to allow them to defend their title. They are the only specialists in the tournament, and they duly beat the second seeds in the first round, seeing off Taylor Fritz and Elena Rybakina 4-2, 4-2.
Time will tell who eventually prevails, but Draper and Pegula looked much sharper and more polished as a doubles team than Raducanu and Alcaraz. In truth, however, for all four players, the really important action will take place later in the month.
Draper and Raducanu Will Hope for Strong Showing
Draper is the world number five, while Raducanu peaked at number 10, over three years ago. However, it is the latter, the younger player by around a year, who boasts a Grand Slam title to her name.
Both will hope they can lift the game’s major prizes in the future but for this tournament, their realistic aims are likely to be different. Both are aware that they are not yet at the level of the very best but clearly Draper is closer to the likes of Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner than his compatriot is to players such as Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Pegula.
As such, Draper will expect a deep run and hope for a final, or even his maiden Grand Slam. In contrast, Raducanu’s goals are a step or two behind that, with a solid performance likely to be a run to the third or fourth round, and anything beyond that representing a really good week. But how are both of Britain’s best players shaping up as we move towards the start of the singles tournaments?
Emma Raducanu: Encouraging Signs
After her incredible breakthrough win the pressure and expectation on Raducanu was immense. She struggled with that a little and was criticised by some for what was perceived as over-commitment to the commercial side of things, in terms of endorsements, sponsorships and public appearances.
Many also questioned her attitude, in particular in relation to her difficulty settling with one coach. However, injuries played a huge part in her lack of progress over the past few years. Moreover, during her incredible run to the US Open title, she never actually had to face a really top player. As such, her victory may have given a false impression of where her game was at. Even now, she remains just 22 years old.
She has made steady improvements over the last 12 months or so. In 2024 she made the fourth round at Wimbledon, as deep as she had gone in a Slam since winning the US Open. This year she made the third round there, and at Wimbledon, and the second at the French. She also made the quarters of a WTA 1000 event for the first time and has had other good performances. Moreover, many of her defeats have come against some of the best players in the world (at Melbourne and in Paris to Swiatek and to Sabalenka at Wimbledon, as well as to top seed Zheng Qinwen in the quarters at Queens).
In short, given a decent draw she has a chance to enjoy a run at a venue where she has so many great memories. The draw will take place on the 26th of August and given a kind one, and the odd result going her way, we could certainly see her making the last eight.
Can Draper Upset Big Two?
Sinner and Alcaraz appear to have a stranglehold on the big events at the moment. The brilliant duo have won the last seven now. Moreover, they met in the finals of the French Open and Wimbledon, so are establishing a wonderful rivalry.
The task for players such as Draper, and the more experienced Fritz and Alexander Zverev, is to make the big two into a big three or four. Draper made the semis at the US Open last year and claimed a big win at India Wells, when he beat Alcaraz in the semis.
Draper seems to have all the tools and just need to keep putting himself in with a chance. With a few tweaks to his game here and there, perhaps to his forehand and in terms of his fitness, he may have a real chance of closing the gap to the top two in the world.
The Brit is ranked the fourth favourite, though out at 25/1, to win in New York (for reference, Raducanu is 40/1, though that probably reflects the more open nature of the women’s game right now). However, he is the fifth seed, which is disadvantageous in terms of the draw.
Nonetheless, we predict an exciting few years for both Draper and Raducanu. It would certainly not be a surprise at all if one of them was to make the semis at the US Open and after that, who knows what could happen?