Carlos Alcaraz reveals how his dream partnership with Emma Raducanu became a reality
Carlos Alcaraz has revealed how his dream partnership with Emma Raducanu became a reality, after it was confirmed the duo will team up in the mixed doubles tournament at this year’s US Open.
The US Open has decided to make the mixed doubles event a lucrative competition the week before the main draw gets underway, with tournament chiefs announcing a host of big-name pairings for the tournament that will take place in August.
Alcaraz and Raducanu were among the more eye-catching pairings, with the duo set to cement their off-court friendship by playing together for the first time.
“She’s gonna be the boss,” declared Alcaraz with a smile. “I’m super excited about it. I think it’s going to be great. It was an amazing idea for the tournament.
“I’ve known Emma for a really long time ago, so we know each other. I have a really good relationship with her. We are going to enjoy it, for sure.
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“I will try to bring my doubles skill. We will try to win, but obviously it’s going to be really, really fun.
“I was thinking that I couldn’t play better if unless it was with Emma. I just asked Emma if she wants to play doubles with me. Yeah, I made that special request.”
Alcaraz has come high-profile experience playing doubles after his partnership with Rafael Nadal at last year’s Olympic Games in Paris, but Raducanu has limited experience in that format of the game.
She played alongside Katie Boulter as they won a match at the HSBC Championships at the Queen’s Club earlier this month, but she openly admitted she “didn’t know what she was doing” in doubles.
The Alcaraz/Raducanu combination has already been given a nick-name of ‘Alcaranu’ and one player joked he was a little put out to be snubbed by his fellow Brit.
Jack Draper has confirmed he will play in the US Open mixed doubles event with China’s Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, yet he was asked whether he considered teaming up with Raducanu and offered up a jovail response as he suggested he had been snubbed.
“A wise person once told me you should find the best partner, and that’s what she did in Alcaraz,” said Draper.
“I don’t blame her at all for that (smiling). I think she will have a lot of fun playing with Carlos.
“He’s obviously the best player in the world probably right now, along with Sinner. Great at doubles, as well. Saw that with Rafa at the Olympics. She’s gone about and chose the best partner, for sure. Hopefully they do well.”
It says much about Raducanu’s enduring popularity that two of the top players in men’s tennis were eager to team up with her at the US Open, with the mixed doubles set to be one of the most talked about tennis events of 2025 after the change of format at Flushing Meadows.
World No 1 Jannik Sinner will play with American Emma Navarro while other pairs include women’s world number one Aryna Sabalenka and Grigor Dimitrov, Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios, Novak Djokovic and fellow Serbian Olga Danilovic and off-court partners Paula Badosa and Stefanos Tsitsipas.
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