“Emma Raducanu’s gonna be the boss” – Carlos Alcaraz reveals how he feels about teaming up with Brit for US Open mixed doubles
Carlos Alcaraz, the world No. 2 and five-time Grand Slam champion, expressed his excitement about teaming up with Emma Raducanu for the revamped US Open mixed doubles event, humorously declaring her “the boss” of their partnership, per Sportskeeda. Speaking after his 6-4, 7-6(4) first-round win over Adam Walton at Queen’s Club, Alcaraz revealed he personally requested Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, to join him, saying, “I was thinking that I couldn’t play better if it wasn’t with Emma. I just asked Emma if she wants to play doubles with me. I made that special request,” per The Guardian. Raducanu, ranked No. 36, took time to consider, with Alcaraz joking, “She took a while. Not much, but she had to think a bit,” per Daily Mail.
The duo, dubbed “Alcaranu” by fans, share a long-standing friendship, with Alcaraz noting, “I’ve known Emma for a really long time and I have a really good relationship with her,” per Hindustan Times. The US Open’s new format, set for August 19–20 with a $1 million prize, has attracted stars like Jannik Sinner with Emma Navarro and Novak Djokovic with Olga Danilovic, but Alcaraz and Raducanu’s pairing has sparked buzz, despite needing a wildcard due to their combined singles ranking, per The Athletic. Their playful dynamic shone in a viral compatibility test where they mismatched on a coin toss question, with Raducanu quipping, “I always pick tails,” and Alcaraz responding, “I always let my opponent pick,” per EssentiallySports.
