The noise at Arthur Ashe spilled out onto the concourse. Stars who usually headline singles were swapping high-fives courtside, grinning between points. Something about the 2025 US Open felt different—the mixed doubles tournament was no longer the sideshow.
With a $1 million prize and packed crowds, the pressure amped up, the matches sped by, and even household names were sent home early. Who survived day one, and what shockers set the table for the wildest mixed doubles run in recent memory?
What Happened in the Round of 16 Matches at the US Open Mixed Doubles?
The opening day of the revamped mixed doubles brought chaos right from the start. Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz, two former US Open singles champs, jumped into action as a team, facing top seeds Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper in a match fans circled from the moment the draw came out.
The Arthur Ashe crowd pushed hard for Raducanu and Alcaraz, but Pegula and Draper’s doubles skills made the difference as they won 4-2, 4-2.
Meanwhile, nobody expected 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic and Olga Danilović to go home so early. Facing Daniil Medvedev and Mirra Andreeva, the Serbian duo looked solid after Djokovic grabbed a break, but serving for the second set, Danilović double-faulted twice in a row. That opened the door for Medvedev and Andreeva, who finished the upset 4-2, 5-3.
Venus Williams and Reilly Opelka also packed up early. Even with Williams blasting four Olympic golds’ worth of determination and the pair serving a combined 11 aces, Karolina Muchova and Andrey Rublev held steady and won 4-2, 5-4(7-4).
The day kept the surprises coming as Naomi Osaka and Gaël Monfils bowed out to Caty McNally and Lorenzo Musetti, 5-4, 4-2. Even the second-seeded duo of Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz were knocked out, losing 4-2, 4-2 to defending champs Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori.
Errani and Vavassori, the only traditional doubles specialists left in the draw, made a statement with their decisive win. “We also play for all the doubles players who cannot compete at the mixed doubles tournament here. We try to do our best,” Vavassori said after their victory.
How Did the Quarterfinals Set Up the US Open Mixed Doubles Semis?
With only eight teams left, the quarterfinals brought more big names and questions. Pegula and Draper stayed hot, rolling over Medvedev and Andreeva 4-1, 4-1. The top seeds barely faced resistance, even against a pair who just knocked out Djokovic and Danilović.
Right after celebrating a title in Cincinnati, Iga Świątek jumped straight into action with Casper Ruud, and the third seeds moved past McNally and Musetti 4-1, 4-2. “I was in the gym working on my backswing and I looked at Iga like, ‘This is determination like I’ve never seen it before!’” Ruud said, describing his partner’s commitment. Świątek had joined Ruud fresh off her Cincinnati run, playing with barely any downtime.
Defending champs Errani and Vavassori were pushed, but used their doubles expertise to beat Muchova and Rublev 4-1, 5-4(4) and reach another semi.
US Open Mixed Doubles Semifinals:
🇬🇧🇺🇲 Draper/Pegula vs 🇳🇴🇵🇱Ruud/Swiatek
🇮🇹🇮🇹 Errani/Vavassori vs 🇺🇲🇺🇲 Collins/Harrison
– Tennis Updates (@TennisUpdates25) August 19, 2025
Danielle Collins and Christian Harrison’s run was the most unlikely of all. They stepped in last-minute after Jannik Sinner and Kateřina Siniaková withdrew, then beat Belinda Bencic and Alexander Zverev 4-0, 5-3. Collins and Harrison then edged Americans Ben Shelton and Taylor Townsend 4-1, 5-4(2) to cap the day.
The defeat of Shelton and Townsend felt huge, considering their pedigrees. Townsend is ranked No. 1 in doubles, and Shelton made the semifinals in 2023, so they were seen as a force. Still, they could not stop the surprising charge of Collins and Harrison, who made the most of their chance in the refreshed US Open mixed doubles shootout.
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