Carlos Alcaraz, the world No. 2 and five-time Grand Slam champion, shared the story behind his partnership with Emma Raducanu for the revamped US Open mixed doubles event, playfully calling her “the boss” on court. Speaking after his 6-4, 7-6(4) first-round win over Adam Walton at Queen’s Club, Alcaraz said, “The US Open came to us with the idea of playing mixed doubles. I accepted, and my first thought was Emma. We’re the same age, we’ve known each other for a long time, and we get on really well,” per The Guardian. Raducanu, the 2021 US Open women’s singles champion, initially hesitated, with Alcaraz joking, “She took a while, not much, but she had to think a bit,” per Daily Mail.
The partnership, dubbed “Alcaranu” by fans, was sparked when Alcaraz made a “special request” through their agents to team up for the August 19–20, 2025, event during US Open Fan Week, per Times of India. Raducanu, ranked WTA No. 36, responded positively on June 18, posting a split image of them smiling on Instagram with the caption “:)) @carlitosalcarazz,” per Footboom1. Alcaraz emphasized the fun aspect, saying, “We’ll try to win, but it’s going to be really, really fun,” per BBC Sport. Their long-standing friendship, dating back to junior days, and Raducanu’s presence at Alcaraz’s 2024 Wimbledon final, fueled the collaboration, per The Independent.
The US Open’s new mixed doubles format, featuring 16 teams, a $1 million prize, and a “fast-four” structure (sets to four games, no-ad scoring, 10-point tiebreak instead of a third set), has drawn criticism for favoring singles stars like Alcaraz and Raducanu over doubles specialists, per The Athletic. With only eight teams qualifying via combined singles rankings and eight via wildcards, their entry isn’t guaranteed by the July 28 deadline, per Flashscore. Other notable pairs include Naomi Osaka-Nick Kyrgios and Jannik Sinner-Emma Navarro, per The Straits Times. Jack Draper, who will partner Zheng Qinwen, praised Raducanu’s choice, saying, “A wise person told me to find the best partner, and that’s what she did in Alcaraz,” per @TheTennisLetter.
