Jack Draper's bid to reach the US Open mixed doubles final ended in a narrow defeat alongside Jessica Pegula on Wednesday. The top seeds, who had beaten Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz in the first round, led 8-4 in the deciding tie-break but lost 3-5, 5-3 (10/8) to Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud in front of a packed crowd on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Draper admitted the intensity of the match surprised him after he had earlier described the tournament as an “exhibition”. “Tonight it was intense. We both wanted to win,” he said. Pegula added: “You can’t go out there at 7pm on Ashe knowing you could play the final, and feel like you’re just out there.”
In the final, Italian defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori beat Swiatek and Ruud 6-3, 5-7, 10-6 to retain their title and claim the $1m prize. Vavassori said: “We showed today that doubles is a great product.” The pair, who needed a wild card, relied on their experience to outfox the singles stars.
Draper's focus now shifts to the singles tournament starting Sunday, where he aims to build on last year's semi-final run. The 23-year-old has not played a singles match since Wimbledon due to an arm injury but said the mixed doubles had been “a really positive experience”.
