On June 17, 2025, Carlos Alcaraz opened up about how his long-cherished dream of playing mixed doubles with Emma Raducanu at the 2025 US Open became reality, revealing he made a direct plea to the British star. After his 6-4, 7-6(4) first-round victory over Adam Walton at Queen’s Club, Alcaraz told reporters, “When they told me about this mixed tournament, I thought straight away about Emma. I sent her a message asking if she’d like to play with me, and she said yes after a bit of thinking,” per Daily Mail. The ATP No. 2, a five-time Grand Slam champion, grinned as he admitted, “I was a bit nervous waiting for her reply,” per Express.
The Spark and Friendship
Alcaraz’s desire to partner with Raducanu, ranked WTA No. 36, stemmed from their friendship, which began during their junior days and grew through mutual admiration. In January 2024, he praised her comeback from 2023 wrist and ankle surgeries, saying, “She’s a pleasure to watch, tennis needs her,” and expressed his mixed doubles dream, per @limuzinaxd. Raducanu, who attended Alcaraz’s 2024 Wimbledon final win over Jannik Sinner, reciprocated by citing his shot-making as inspiration during her 2024 Wimbledon fourth-round run, per The Mirror. Despite dating rumors, both have insisted they’re “just friends,” with Alcaraz joking, “She’s the boss on court,” per The Guardian.
US Open Mixed Doubles Excitement
The US Open’s revamped mixed doubles event, set for August 19–20 during Fan Week, features a $1 million prize pool and a “fast-four” format (two sets of four games, tie-break at 3-3), attracting top pairs like Jannik Sinner-Emma Navarro and Naomi Osaka-Nick Kyrgios, per Sky Sports. Alcaraz and Raducanu, dubbed “Alcaranu” by fans on X like @TennisFanatic88, face qualification hurdles, as only the top eight teams by combined singles ranking, plus eight wildcards, make the 16-team draw by July 28, per Sports Illustrated. Alcaraz called the format “super fun,” eager to combine his aggressive style with Raducanu’s tenacity, per The Telegraph.
Context and Support
Raducanu’s decision to pair with Alcaraz over compatriot Jack Draper, who teamed with Qinwen Zheng, was strategic, as Draper noted, “She chose the best partner, I don’t blame her,” per Yahoo Sports. Their partnership follows Raducanu’s controversial 2024 Wimbledon mixed doubles withdrawal with Andy Murray, which Alcaraz sidestepped, saying, “I’m just happy we’re playing now,” per South Wales Guardian. With Wimbledon 2025 looming, their US Open collaboration promises to electrify fans, per @HowardFendrich.
