In a whirlwind of athletic dedication and swirling speculation, Carlos Alcaraz, the 22-year-old Spanish tennis sensation, made a dramatic 600-mile private jet sprint from Cincinnati to New York on August 18, 2025, to partner with Britain’s Emma Raducanu in the revamped US Open mixed doubles event. The five-time Grand Slam champion, fresh off a Cincinnati Open victory where he led 5-0 before Jannik Sinner’s illness-forced retirement, boarded the flight with women’s champion Iga Swiatek to ensure he could take the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium on August 19. The high-profile pairing, facing top seeds Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper at 2 p.m. ET (7 p.m. BST), has ignited excitement for its star power and fueled persistent dating rumors, which both players have addressed with characteristic charm and deflection.
The US Open’s mixed doubles, reimagined for 2025, is a condensed, two-day spectacle held before the main draw, offering a $1 million prize—five times last year’s payout. With only 16 teams, entry prioritizes singles stars via combined rankings or wildcards, sidelining many doubles specialists. Alcaraz and Raducanu, granted a wildcard, embody the event’s new focus on marquee names. Their first-round opponents, Pegula and Draper, are a formidable duo, with Pegula’s world No. 5 ranking and Draper’s status as Britain’s top male player. “It’s good. The scheduling is not the best to be honest, playing tomorrow,” Alcaraz admitted post-Cincinnati, acknowledging the tight turnaround. “But the concept of the mixed doubles, I love it. I’m going to have so much fun, playing with Emma.”
The pair’s chemistry, both on and off the court, has been a focal point. Their friendship, rooted in shared experiences at Wimbledon and the US Open in 2021, has grown through mutual respect and lighthearted banter. Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, recalled their early connection: “I’ve known him for years. Wimbledon 2021 was the first time I started getting to know him. He was always playing the day before me, and I would see him win and then I would have motivation to win.” Alcaraz, who jokingly called Raducanu “the boss” on court, shared his excitement at Queen’s Club: “I’m super excited about it. I think it’s going to be great. We know each other. I have a really good relationship with her.” Their bond, amplified by joint appearances for sponsor Evian and Raducanu cheering Alcaraz at Queen’s and Wimbledon, has sparked romance rumors. Raducanu, however, dismissed the speculation with a laugh, telling reporters, “We’re just good friends. I guess it comes with the territory, people being so curious. I just keep myself to myself, my private life to one side.”
The revamped format introduces six bold rules: a 16-team draw, entry by singles rankings or wildcards, best-of-three sets to four games (six in the final), no-advantage scoring, tiebreaks at 4-4, and a 10-point tiebreak decider instead of a third set. While fans are thrilled, doubles specialists like Sara Errani have criticized the changes, calling them “sad” and akin to barring high jumpers from Olympic events in favor of basketball players. Alcaraz, undeterred, sees the event as vital preparation: “I will try to see how the court is going to be, the balls, everything. I will treat it as a really important and good preparation for me.”
Raducanu’s journey back to Flushing Meadows, where she made history as the first qualifier to win a Grand Slam, has been fraught with challenges. Injuries, including wrist and ankle surgeries in 2023, dropped her ranking to 289, but her 2025 season showed promise with a Miami Open quarter-final and an Eastbourne win over Pegula. Alcaraz, with titles at the 2025 French Open and Wimbledon, brings firepower to their partnership. Despite withdrawals from players like Aryna Sabalenka and Grigor Dimitrov, the field remains stacked, with Novak Djokovic and Olga Danilovic among the wildcards. If Alcaraz and Raducanu triumph over Pegula and Draper, they’ll face either Djokovic’s duo or Mirra Andreeva and Daniil Medvedev.
As the tennis world watches, Alcaraz’s dash underscores his commitment to Raducanu and the event’s bold vision. “I’m probably going to sleep late, but I will try to bring my best tennis to help Emma get the win,” he said. Whether their partnership yields a title or simply unforgettable moments, their “genuine connection” promises to captivate fans, proving that on the court, their synergy is the real story.
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