Carlos Alcaraz Reveals ‘Special Request’ to ‘Boss’ Emma Raducanu for This Year’s US Open Mixed Doubles

Carlos Alcaraz is chasing his fourth grass-court title at the Queen's Club Championships, where Emma Raducanu lost in the quarterfinals.

Carlos Alcaraz Reveals ‘Special Request’ to ‘Boss’ Emma Raducanu for This Year’s US Open Mixed Doubles

Carlos Alcaraz, Emma Raducanu (Image via X/The Tennis Letter, Raducanu News)

When the US Open announced that this year’s mixed doubles will be moved to the qualifying week, perhaps many tennis fans dreamed of a Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu link-up. Alcaraz, after his first win at the Queen’s Club Championships, revealed that he had made the special request to the Brit to be his partner.

And she, not immediately though, agreed. Alcaraz, who lifted the 2022 US Open, has never played a mixed doubles match at Flushing Meadows and neither did Raducanu, the singles winner here in 2021.

Raducanu, since that fairytale run at the 2021 US Open, has never tasted success in any other tournament. And only in this year’s Miami Open that she was able to win four consecutive matches for the first time since that US Open run.

Women’s events were held at the Queen’s Club Championships for the first time since 1973 and Raducanu kick-started her campaign on grass here but ended up losing in the quarterfinals to 2024 Paris Olympic gold medalist Qinwen Zheng. Men’s matches have started at the Queen’s and Alcaraz is aiming to win the tournament for the second time.

After getting his first win, over Australia’s Adam Walton 6-4, 7-6(4), Alcaraz talked about the Raducanu partnership. At the press conference, a journalist asked him who was going to be the boss on court.

She’s gonna be the boss (smiling). Yeah, I mean, US Open came to us and give us opportunities to play mixed doubles. I’m super excited about it. I think it’s going to be great. It was an amazing idea for the tournament. Yeah, I know Emma since a really long time ago, so we know each other. I have really good relationship with her.

Raducanu recently played doubles with compatriot Katie Boulter and the pair reached the quarterfinal, where the pair of Erin Routliffe and Lyudmyla Kichenok knocked them out. Alcaraz last played a doubles match at the Laver Cup along with Casper Ruud. He had also paired up with his idol, Rafael Nadal, for the Paris Olympics.

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. Yeah, I made that special request.

Carlos Alcaraz added

Raducanu next was scheduled to play the Berlin Open, but she withdrew from the tournament because of a back problem. She will hope to recover before Wimbledon where she reached the fourth round twice (2021 and 2024).

Carlos Alcaraz to play Jaume Munar next

Carlos Alcaraz took a 1-0 head-to-lead over Adam Walton after their first tour-level meeting. Walton played the ATP 500 tournament on grass as a qualifier and before scheduling the clash with the five-time Grand Slam champion, he knocked out Serbia’s Hamad Medjedovic and compatriot Aleksandar Vukic in the qualifying rounds.

Carlos Alcaraz
Carlos Alcaraz (Image via ATP/X)

Alcaraz will next be locking horns with compatriot Jaume Munar in the round of 16. The World No.2 has met the World No.59 thrice on tour and won two of those matches. The upcoming match will be their first meeting on grass, as all of their previous three matches were on clay.

While Alcaraz is chasing his fifth title on the tour, following his victories in Rotterdam, Monte Carlo, Rome, and Paris, Munar hasn’t yet won a tournament this season. Before scheduling the match against the reigning French Open champion, Munar received a walkover from Jordan Thompson.

Alcaraz lifted the Queen’s Club Championships for the first time in 2023 (his first title on grass), following which, he beat Novak Djokovic to become a Wimbledon champion. Last year, he lost his second-round match at Queen’s but lifted his third title on the surface about three weeks later at Wimbledon by denying the Serb his record 25th Grand Slam title.

Also read: Carlos Alcaraz Believes He Doesn’t Have Any “Mental Advantage” over Arch-Rival Jannik Sinner