Tennis stars, Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu’s highly anticipated run in the revamped US Open mixed doubles ended almost as quickly as it began, with the duo bowing out in the opening round on Tuesday.
The former singles champions were beaten 4-2, 4-2 by top seeds Jack Draper and Jessica Pegula in just 50 minutes under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The fleeting highlight of their campaign came midway through the second set when Alcaraz chased down a dipping Draper backhand, firing a stunning winner down the line that left Raducanu in awe.
Still, it was not enough to stop Draper and Pegula, who later eased past Mirra Andreeva and Daniil Medvedev 4-1, 4-1 to book a semifinal spot.
“I don’t know what I was expecting, but I think it’s been pretty good so far, especially after not competing for a while,” Draper said after the victory. “I’m happy with the way I’m playing. It’s all about having a good partner as well – that’s true.”
Pegula, a singles finalist in New York last year, and Draper will now face third seeds Iga Świątek and Casper Ruud in the last four on Wednesday. Świątek arrived in New York just hours before her first match after celebrating her Cincinnati Open singles triumph alongside Alcaraz.
“Everyone should show some appreciation to Iga today because she got to her hotel 12 hours ago at 2:30 a.m. and she’s here playing, so thank you so much, Iga,” Ruud told the crowd following their quarterfinal win.
The restructured mixed doubles has generated debate within tennis circles. While the event has drawn record attention and showcased star-studded pairings, critics argue it sidelines doubles specialists from the chance to win a grand slam.
This year’s 16-team draw is contested under a shortened format, first to four games per set, no-ad scoring, and a 10-point match tiebreak in place of a deciding set.
The financial stakes are higher than ever, with winners set to claim $1 million – a massive $800,000 jump from last year’s purse.
Perhaps fittingly, the lone doubles specialists in the field, defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, have been the most consistent.
The Italian pair dispatched Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz, followed by Karolina Muchová and Andrey Rublev, to continue their title defense.
“Honestly, we felt a bit before stepping on court our mission was to play this tournament,” Vavassori told reporters. “We were not sure during the year. For us, it was important to send a message before the tournament.
“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. I think it’s important to show also that doubles players are great players.
“I think our main goal in the future will be to change a little bit the narrative because singles players are amazing on singles, but doubles players are amazing in doubles. If doubles players play against singles, sometimes they play better because they are more organized.”
Errani and Vavassori will meet Danielle Collins and Christian Harrison, surprise entrants into the draw, in Wednesday’s semifinal clash.