When it was announced that Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu would be playing the new US Open Mixed Doubles event together, rumors of the two dating spread like wildfire despite no real evidence to support the theory.
Now, ahead of their mixed doubles match against Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper today, Raducanu’s former coach, Mark Petchey, is squashing any lingering dating rumors.
In an interview with OLBG, Petchy explained that the two are simply friends:
“They are just good friends. She’s good friends with a lot of people out there on the tour. The media is going to be the media. Obviously, I know there’s suggestions that they are going out. That’s not the case. They’re just good friends. The reality is they’re only there to play tennis.”
The new mixed doubles format at the US Open sees the two competing against some of the best singles players in the world over two days for a $1 million prize.
Mark Petchey Discusses Carlos Alcaraz & Emma Raducanu and Mixed Doubles Format
This year’s reimagined mixed doubles format at the US Open has proven to be very polarizing. While some fans are excited to see the best singles players in the world pair up and battle it out for a million-dollar prize, others feel as though the decision is unfair to doubles specialists.
As Petchy explained in the aforementioned interview with OLBG, he’s excited to see how things play out under the new format:
“It’s exciting for us as fans, and I think it’s actually very exciting for the players that are involved in it as well.
“Emma and Carlos are excited to play, and all the players that I spoke to at Montreal and Cincinnati are all excited to play. They’re all thrilled with the opportunity. I think they’re all pretty jacked to go and show how much it means to them to try and win this event but also to go and put on a great show for tennis. … I’m a big fan of the event, I’m a big fan of what they’ve tried to create, and there may be a bit of tweaking here and there as we go forward.”
Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu’s match is set to take place today immediately following the Iga Swiatek/Casper Ruud vs. Madison Keys/Frances Tiafoe match on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Jamie Murray Explains Frustrations With US Open Mixed Doubles Event
While there’s plenty of excitement surrounding this year’s US Open Mixed Doubles event, as previously mentioned, doubles specialists have been left frustrated by the change in format.
Doubles legend Jamie Murray, the elder brother of Sir Andy Murray, explained to The Independent last month that although he understands the appeal of the reimagined event, it robs specialists of a rare chance to play mixed doubles.
“People are obviously excited, because it’s the best men and women on court together, which is a cool product, but a lot of doubles players are annoyed. The prize money gap is so big because that money is going to the very top end of the game. Of course, they deserve it, but it’s like ‘come on, give us a chance to win.’ It’s only four times a year we get to play mixed doubles.”
The big question, of course, is whether the event will return in 2026 with some tweaks, or whether the frenzy of re-pairings will contribute to the event’s demise.
Are Carlos Alcaraz & Emma Raducanu Dating? Former Coach Squashes Rumors