The 2025 US Open Mixed Doubles championship got underway on Tuesday, August 19. I was among the 23,000+ fans packed into Arthur Ashe Stadium for the action that has been celebrated and criticized in the days leading up to the reimagined event.
If crowd size is an indicator, the USTA National Tennis Center was packed with fans who could access the grounds with a free Fan Access Pass and those who paid for a seat in Ashe Stadium. There were so many people that some Ashe Stadium food vendors ran out of food (much to my chagrin).
This event is like Christmas for tennis fans, and in the years before that I attended the US Open, I have never seen so much in one single day.
The Best US Open Mixed Doubles Day 1 Things
My personal high point was being three rows behind the chairs of Karolina Muchova and Andrey Rublev in their match against Venus Williams and Riley Opelka. American fans gave Williams a lot of love and cheers as she walked on the court. She played well as did Opelka whose serve is mesmerizing and frightening in person.
Rublev was smiling and happy-go-lucky while playing a great match with Karolina Muchova whose slice and finesse game was so fun to see in person.
The players gravitate toward the kids after the matches, and that was evident for Williams/Opelka and Muchova/Rublev as well as Taylor Fritz and Elena Rybakina who I spotted at the end of their match.
Watching the most publicized match between Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu versus Jack Draper and Jessica Pegula was also fun. Alcaraz was his usual wizard making some amazing shots, but Pegula’s doubles and mixed doubles experience along with left Draper’s steady shots won the match.
Postmatch after all matches, everyone was always cordial with each other except there was an odd lack of hug between Draper and Raducanu. He went in for a hug, but she stopped at a handshake. I don’t know what thas was about, but it added to the drama of the day.
Jack Draper went in for a hug but Emma Raducanu swerved himpic.twitter.com/DLkRbK7gOk
— Troll Sports (@TroIISports) August 20, 2025
The US Open Mixed Doubles Drama Continues
There is an us against them movement with this event. Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori said in their postmatch interview that they were playing for the doubles players not invited to compete.
Andrea Vavassori after he & Sara Errani beat Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz at U.S. Open:
“We are playing for all the doubles players that could not compete here. We try to do our best.” ❤️ pic.twitter.com/5NQ1D4eX48
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 19, 2025
Muchova used the word “exhibition” to describe the event where a Grand Slam title is on the line. Naomi Osaka appeared to play in practice wear. These things aggravated people who were already not happy about how this event was handled. Draper also called it a “bit of an exhibition format” which Pegula quickly corrected.
Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper are the dynamic duo we didn’t know we needed 😂
(@tntsports) pic.twitter.com/oN3DcuF1kK
— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) August 20, 2025
The event was a success; however, like anything else, it can be refined and improved to be more inclusive going forward.
