A million-dollar curtain-raiser meets a reality check
The new-look US Open mixed doubles promised star power and a fresh stage. It got both—and a swift upset. In their debut as a duo, Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu were bounced in the first round by Jack Draper and Jessica Pegula on August 19, 2025, in a match that felt less like an exhibition and more like a statement from the British-American pair.
The setting helped. By moving mixed doubles to the week before the main tournament and dangling a $1 million prize pool, organizers got what they wanted: packed stands, a buzzy broadcast window, and top singles names sharing the same court for a tight, made-for-TV slate. But the bright lights highlighted a basic truth about doubles—talent draws the crowd, teamwork wins the points.
Alcaraz and Raducanu had moments that justified the hype. The loudest gasp came when Alcaraz curved an around-the-net forehand that made Raducanu freeze mid-step and grin in disbelief. It was the clip that will live on social feeds. What didn’t land as cleanly were the patterns that usually decide mixed doubles: crosscourt returns that pin the volleyer, first volleys that bury the ball at the feet, and middle coverage that keeps the net sealed. Draper and Pegula won those trenches.
Draper’s lefty serve set the tone. Heavy and wide in the ad court, it dragged returns off the sideline and opened middle lanes Pegula happily patrolled. Pegula, who has become one of the most reliable ball-strikers on tour, did what she always does—took time away, kept depth, and forced rushed replies. When points stretched, Raducanu and Alcaraz too often found themselves reacting rather than dictating.
The chemistry between the two stars looked natural in promos and warm-ups, and there were glimmers of it in rallies: clean backhand exchanges from Raducanu, sudden front-court bursts from Alcaraz, and a few slick switches at the net. But doubles fluency is timing and trust. A half-step late on a poach becomes a sitter. A missed signal leaves the middle open. Against a composed pair like Draper-Pegula, those little gaps become the whole story.
The loss will sting because of the buzz that built around the team-up. Alcaraz, already a seven-time major winner with a career Grand Slam by 22, was the one who initiated the partnership, messaging Raducanu as soon as he heard about the format shift. Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion and also 22, let the idea simmer before agreeing. “Got to keep ’em on their toes,” she joked about the delay. The anticipation was real. The runway, it turns out, was short.
The mixed doubles reboot is a smart play by the USTA. Holding it as a standalone showcase gives fans a reason to arrive early and gives broadcasters a clean story to sell: rival singles stars on the same side of the net. It also solves a headache. During the main fortnight, singles contenders often skip mixed because of the scheduling grind. By separating it, organizers removed that conflict and turned it into a curtain-raiser.
The trade-off is preparation. Many pairings arrive with little shared time. That showed on court. Alcaraz and Raducanu were at their best when rallies loosened and their shot-making could shine. When points tightened—second serves, pressure returns, net exchanges—their inexperience as a pair surfaced. Draper and Pegula played the percentages, protected their service games, and picked safe targets under stress.
If you’re looking for the turning points, they were small and repetitive. Draper’s first serves multiplied the number of short points. Pegula won the length-of-rally battles by pinning the ball deep down the middle, neutralizing angles and forcing Alcaraz to create from low positions. On return games, Pegula rarely overhit, keeping the ball at the server’s feet and robbing time. And whenever Alcaraz or Raducanu took risk from the middle, Draper was quick to cover the line, trusting Pegula’s read on the crosscourt.
Alcaraz admitted afterward he had a list of tweaks that could have made things “much better.” You could see what he meant. Earlier poaches to cut off Pegula’s rhythm. More body serves at Draper to jam the lefty backswing. A few extra lobs to test Pegula’s overhead and flip court positions. Each is a small adjustment. Together, they change a match’s temperature.
For Raducanu, this was as much about feel as it was about result. Mixed doubles gives reps she can’t replicate in practice: fast returns, quick hands at net, second-serve pressure in a tight scoreboard window. Those patterns feed nicely into singles instincts. Her ball-striking looked sharp in patches, and she read Draper’s patterns better as the match went on. The timing, though, wasn’t fully locked in, and against a steady opponent like Pegula, there’s no margin to find it on the fly.
Draper leaves with a useful boost. He served with conviction and didn’t overplay from the baseline, letting Pegula’s pace do the work. Pegula, already a proven doubles force with multiple big-match miles, was exactly what you’d expect: calm, clean, and clinical. The pairing fits—a lefty-righty mix, a big serve backed by a compact returner, and a shared bias toward high-percentage decisions.
Beyond the result, the crowd got what the USTA hoped for: star names packed into a short, tidy session that felt like a mini-festival before the main draw. The sound built on big serves, the oohs followed the around-the-net magic, and the reaction to the handshake was a blend of appreciation and curiosity—because this format raises a new question. If the money and schedule are right, will more elite singles players commit to mixed doubles as a serious target rather than a side quest?
There’s a case for it. The compressed slate limits the weekly grind, the prize pot is real, and the brand upside is massive. There’s also risk. Adding competitive matches just days before singles can complicate the physical load and the scouting routine. Some will lean in, treating it like high-intensity prep. Others will steer clear to keep their tanks full. That push-and-pull is part of the experiment.
What happens next for the headline duo is simple: all attention shifts to the singles draw starting Sunday. For Alcaraz, who has set a ridiculous standard at the majors, the focus will be on defending his top-tier aura and keeping his calendar efficient. For Raducanu, the aim is clean matches early, stack confidence, and build rhythm on the court where she made her name. The mixed loss doesn’t change those targets. If anything, it provides a live-fire tune-up under pressure lights.
For Draper and Pegula, this win is more than a line on a draw sheet. It’s a marker that they can set the terms against star pairings and a reminder that mixed doubles rewards complementary skill sets. They didn’t need fireworks to win the day—just solid choices and a grip on the big patterns that matter most when two players share one side of the net.
As the revised event settles into the calendar, expect more of these matchups that feel part competition, part crossover. The sport gets fresh storylines without touching the integrity of the main draw. Fans get access to players in a different light. And on nights like this one, with an around-the-net highlight that lit up the stadium and a result that undercut the pregame script, the product sells itself.
On paper, a team with seven majors between them shouldn’t be out after one match. On a doubles court, paper doesn’t cover the middle. That’s what Draper and Pegula did better, point after point. The showcase delivered—and so did they.