Jack Draper and Jessica Pegula kicked off their US Open mixed doubles campaign in style, picking up a big win against the fan-favorites.
When the US Open mixed doubles draw was released, one match stood out above the rest.
Draper and Pegula v Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu was always going to be must-see TV.
Entertaining the fans on Arthur Ashe Stadium from the first point to the last, all four players put on a show on the opening day of the tournament.
It was the pairing of Draper and Pegula who emerged victorious, defeating Alcaraz and Raducanu in straight sets, 4-2, 4-2.
During the match, Draper was seen doing something that surprised a former British number one.
Laura Robson was surprised by how ‘active’ Jack Draper was at the net
Sharing her thoughts on commentary after the match, Laura Robson admitted she wasn’t expecting Draper to be as confident as he was at the net.
“What a game to finish it off, the best run of points at the very end,” she said.
“They were much better than I was thinking they were going to be, to be honest. You never quite know how things are going to pan out when you’re playing with someone for the very first time.
“But [Jessica] Pegula was excellent; she just hits her spot so well on the serve and return, which allowed Jack Draper to be far more active at the net than perhaps we were expecting.
“All of a sudden, the number one seeds, looking very dangerous.”
Entering with the highest combined singles ranking, Draper and Pegula are the top seeds for the 2025 US Open mixed doubles event.
| Seed | ATP Player | WTA Player | Performance |
| 1 | Jack Draper | Jessica Pegula | Quarterfinals* |
| 2 | Taylor Fritz | Elena Rybakina | Lost in first round |
| 3 | Casper Ruud | Iga Swiatek | Semifinals* |
| 4 | Holger Rune | Amanda Anisimova | Lost in first round |
Reflecting on the win, Draper claimed it ‘doesn’t get better than this’ during his post-match interview.
“I’ve got a pretty good partner,” he said.
“What an experience playing out here with Jessica, playing Emma [Raducanu] and Carlos [Alcaraz], it doesn’t get any better than this. Pleasure to be out here, playing them with such a good player.”
Pegula also enjoyed the experience, thanking the crowd for turning up in numbers.
“This stadium is packed, so thanks everyone for showing up, that was such a fun atmosphere,” she said.
“Even if it meant a couple of highlight reel shots by Carlos to get the crowd going, it was really fun.
“I play doubles a lot, but I haven’t played that much recently, so it’s always kind of tricky, especially going into a mixed format against other people who don’t play a lot of doubles, but it was a lot of fun. Jack played great, so we’re excited to be back soon.”
Pegula and Draper won’t have long to rest before they’re back on court for their quarterfinal match.
Who will Jack Draper and Jessica Pegula play in the quarterfinals?
The winning pair could be watching their quarterfinal opponents play right now, while they’re recovering in the locker room.
Daniil Medvedev and Mirra Andreeva are playing Novak Djokovic and Olga Danilovic, with the winner of that match advancing to play Draper and Pegula.
Playing as well as they did in round one, Draper and Pegula may well be confident of securing another win in the quarterfinals, but could encounter a trickier test should they advance to the semis.
Awaiting them in the last four are Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud, who dropped just six games in their opening two matches at the US Open.
Making light work of Frances Tiafoe/Madison Keys, and then Lorenzo Musetti/Caty McNally, Swiatek and Ruud outlined their title-winning credentials.
Only time will tell if they can go all the way, but it would certainly be interesting to see them play Draper and Pegula.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
