EMMA RADUCANU suffered one of her heaviest defeats at the Grand Slams as she was blown away by clean-hitting Elena Rybakina.
The former US Open champion was crushed 6-1 6-2 in the third round by the 2022 Wimbledon conqueror.
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Emma Raducanu was dumped out of the US OpenCredit: Shutterstock Editorial
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The Brit was blitzed by pal and doubles partner Elena RybakinaCredit: AP
The pair may have shared the doubles court together and have a decent relationship in the locker room but it was one-way traffic for the Eastern European.
Fashion mogul Anna Wintour watched on from Raducanu’s box as the 22-year-old, wearing her lucky colour of red, was easily beaten before most New Yorkers had grabbed their lunches.
It is her misfortune that she has been dumped out of the four Slams this year by multiple champions Iga Swiatek (Australia and French Open) and Aryna Sabalenka (Wimbledon).
The first clash against the Pole represents the heaviest major loss on her CV – a 6-1 6-0 walloping in Melbourne in January.
Up to 34 in the world, her task ahead of the 2026 Australian Open is to be one of the top 32 seeds so she avoids a big name in the opening rounds.
Raducanu’s serving had been impressive this week but then she did have to play two qualifiers from Asia, Ena Shibahara and Janice Tjen, who were both eliminated in under 62 minutes.
This was a significant step-up in class, though Rybakina does not have a great record at the US Open, having never made the quarter-finals before.
Raducanu, 23, was broken for the first time in the tournament as Rybakina managed to read the return and was hitting the ball cleanly and with authority, crushing every ball from the baseline.
The Moscow-born Kazakhstani, 26, was giving Raducanu no time to breathe on a much cooler morning at Flushing Meadows, far removed from some of the more stifling, humid days the players have had to experience in tournaments past.
Rybakina was firmly in charge when she broke for the second time in game six of the first set.
Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper accused of ‘ex vibes’ as Carlos Alcaraz is upstaged by Brits’ awkward embrace at net
The Brit had no answer and after 27 minutes, despite coach Francisco Roig’s constant talk and instructions from the sidelines, she was a set behind.
Even when she thought she could make an inroad into the Rybakina serve, her opponent produced a powerful first serve in response.
Having cruised through her opening two appearances, this was an example of the real Grand Slam challenge, with Rybakina hitting 11 winners, six off the forehand.
Things got any worse at the start of set two as Raducanu crumbled from 40-love up and was broken by the No9 seed.
Roig, formerly in the Rafa Nadal camp, shouted out “the ball is very heavy” and that is true but it does not help when it comes back at you at such pace and precision.
On the Louis Armstrong Stadium, named after the famous New Orleans-born trumpeter and jazz musician, Raducanu did not have all the time in the world.
In fact her time in the event was all over when 62 minutes on the match clock — her quickest Grand Slam exit.
Tennis stars following in parents’ footsteps
TALK about pressure…
These rising stars are all making their way in tennis.
But they have got something in common – they’ve got a famous parent who also made their name in the sport.
So who are the players hoping to follow in the footsteps of their tennis mums and dads?
Jack Draper has spoken following his mixed doubles win over Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu, along with partner Jessica Pegula.
I have got a pretty good partner.
What an experience playing out here with Jessica, playing Emma and Carlos, it doesn’t get any better than this.
Just a pleasure to be out here.
Jack Draper
How to watch
The US Open is set to restart tonight.
The event resumed at 7pm ET, which is 12am BST.
Fans can watch it on ESPN and Sky Sports.
Djokovic tippeed for shock win
Novak Djokovic has been backed by iconic tennis coach Rick Macci to win the US Open, but only if a few things go his way.
Maci said of the Serb:”He can win the US Open because he still checks enough boxes.
“He has to make sure that he’s not playing four or five hours the other matches because you’ve got a day or whatever to get back and do it again.
“It’s the physical and mental toll that’s going to be tough on his body, but if the draw breaks the right way, or if Alcaraz or Sinner, something happens to them along the way…
“It changes the whole roadmap, the way you’re looking at this thing. He definitely could win the US Open, but those things have to happen.
“But if he has a lot of tough matches and then he has to go through both those guys, I think that’s kind of rough sledding.”
Novak speaks
Novak Djokovic took to X to express his delight at sharing the court with protege Olga Danilovic in their mixed doubles match with Daniil Medvedev and Mirra Andreeva.
He wrote on X: “Always fun playing mix doubles with Olga.
“Thank you@usopen for the WC opportunity to play.”
Womens seedings confirmed
The seedings for the women’s US Open have been confirmed.
Unsurprisingly, World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka is the top seed, with Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff being second and third seeds, respectively.
Check out the full seedings below.
Pegula reacts to mixed doubles win with Draper
She said: “This stadium was packed, so thanks to everyone for showing up.
“That was such a fun atmosphere. Even if it meant a couple of highlight-reel shots by Carlos to get the crowd going, it was really fun.
“I’ve played doubles a lot. I haven’t played that much recently.
“So, it’s always tricky, especially going into a mixed format, playing against other people who don’t play a lot of doubles.
“It was a lot of fun. Jack played great. Excited to be back soon.”
Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz will play together in the competitionCredit: Getty
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Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic are also among the star names playingCredit: AFP via Getty Images
Organisers have controversially made the event stand-alone this year in an attempt to encourage top singles players to participate in the mixed doubles.
The competition is set to be played between August 19-20 with the US Open Singles tournament getting started on August 24.
Many of the big name singles players will be competing in the competition with seven teams gaining direct entry based on their combined singles rankings.
Wimbledon winner and last year’s men’s US Open champion Jannik Sinner teams up with experienced doubles player Katerina Siniakova.
Reigning champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori return as they will try to defend their title.
Novak Djokovic is also in the competition and pairs up with Olga Danilovic.
The 24-time Grand Slam winner has only reached the second round of a doubles competition once – at Wimbledon in 2006 – but did make a run to the semi-finals of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
US Open Mixed Doubles 2025 prize money
This year’s prize money has increased significantly from last year with the winning team now being awarded $1million (£736,880).
This is a staggering improvement on the $200,000 (£147,364) given to 2024 champions Errani and Vavassori.
Intent has clearly being shown by organisers significantly increasing the prize pool, upping the stakes and hopefully increasing the suspense and excitement of the games throughout the competition.
Here is a full breakdown of the prize money for the mixed doubles competition:
THE US Open mixed doubles tournament is getting a revamp this year, with some of the best singles players in the world stepping on court.
Instead of doubles happening at the same time as singles – like at the other three Grand Slams – the 2025 mixed doubles tournament at Flushing Meadows will take place a week before the singles tournament.
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Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu will be playing as a team
The change has caused some controversy, as 2025 Wimbledon mixed doubles champ Sem Verbeek branded it “a shame“.
Who’s playing in the 2025 US Open mixed doubles?
There are eight teams confirmed for the US Open mixed doubles.
Five-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz will team up with British No. 1 Emma Raducanu – who won the singles tournament in 2021.
Earlier this year, they sparked romance rumours after being spotted at each other’s matches at Wimbledon and Queen’s.
Other confirmed teams include World No 1 Jannik Sinner and Emma Navarro, Brit No 1 Jack Draper and Spain’s Paula Badosa, and all-American duo Tommy Paul and Jessica Pegula.
Two more teams will receive a wildcard in the coming weeks. Among the favourites to receive the final wildcards are Naomi Osaka and Nick Kyrgios, plus British No 2 Katie Boulter and her fiance Alex de Minaur, who tweeted: “Katie and I would like to ask for a WC pretty pretty please”.
What is the draw for the US Open mixed doubles?
Top Half
(1) Jessica Pegula & Jack Draper vs Emma Raducanu & Carlos Alcaraz
Olga Danilovic & Novak Djokovic vs Mirra Andreeva & Daniil Medvedev
(3) Iga Siwatek & Casper Ruud vs Madison Keys & Frances Tiafoe
Naomi Osaka & Gael Monfils vs Caty McNally & Lorenzo Musetti
Bottom Half
Katerina Siniakova & Jannik Sinner vs Belinda Bencic & Alexander Zverev
Taylor Townsend & Ben Shelton vs (4) Amanda Anisimova & Holger Rune
Venus Williams & Reilly Opelka vs Karolina Muchova & Andrey Rublev
Sara Errani & Andrea Vavassori vs (2) Elena Rybakina & Taylor Fritz
When does the US Open mixed doubles tournament start?
The revamped US Open mixed doubles championship will take place over two days, on August 19 and 20.
The first and second rounds will start at 11am New York time (6am BST) on August 19, and the semi-final at 7pm (2pm BST) the following evening – with the final set to begin soon after.
The US Open as a whole will last three weeks, and will finish with the men’s singles final on September 7.
How much is the US Open mixed doubles prize money?
The 2025 mixed doubles champions will receive $1 million (about £740,000) in prize money.
This is five times as much as last year’s $200,000 (£148,600) prize money, won by Italy’s Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori – who have received a wildcard into this year’s tournament.
What is the controversy behind the 2025 US Open mixed doubles?
The new US Open mixed doubles format has sparked controversy for taking away opportunities from players who specialise in doubles.
Wimbledon mixed doubles champion Sem Verbeek of the Netherlands told BBC Sport that his “heart is bleeding” at not having the chance to play.
His doubles partner at Wimbledon, Czechia’s Katerina Siniakova – currently the world No 2 in doubles and an Olympic gold medallist – added: “I think it’s a marketing step, but they are taking [away the] chance of doubles players.”
Last year’s US Open mixed doubles champions, Errani and Vavassori, echoed their feelings.
“We see it as a profound injustice that disrespects an entire category of players,” the Italian duo said in a joint statement.
Where can I watch the US Open mixed doubles?
All the US Open action – singles and doubles – can be streamed in the UK and Ireland on Sky Sports.
The tennis match was the BBC’s third-highest ratings for any non-final contest in the last three years, with over five million people watching the Wimbledon match
Wimbledon breaks TV record for BBC as millions tune in for Emma Raducanu(Image: Marleen Fouchier/Getty Images)
A record number of viewers tuned in to watch Emma Raducanu’s match with Aryna Sabalenka on BBC One on Friday. The tennis match was the BBC’s third-highest ratings for any non-final contest in the last three years, with over five million people watching the Wimbledon match.
The 22-year-old had the ultimate challenge in the third round of the Grand Slam as she came up against world No. 1 Sabalenka on Friday. Despite a spirited display where she broke the serve of the Belarusian powerhouse on more than one occasion, she ultimately came up short and lost 7-6 (6) 6-4 in just under two hours 7-6 (6) 6-4.
Emma Raducanu’s match brought in millions of viewers(Image: Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
The intense match was watched by 5.32million people, and her third round received over 1.2million streaming requests on iPlayer.
In comparison, the most-watched non-final match from the last four years at Wimbledon Championships was Raducanu’s fourth round with Lulu Sun in 2024 – which had 5.47 million viewers.
Andy Murray’s tennis match with John Isner in 2022 came in second, with 5.34 million viewers.
The intense match was watched by 5.32million people(Image: Victoria Jones/Shutterstock)
Over the five days of the sporting event, the Been got over 31 million online streaming requests from eager tennis fans, which was over a 50% increase from 2024.
Meanwhile, Cameron Norrie was recently left shocked when a bold reporter asked him whether he was dating Raducanu.
The 29-year-old progressed into the round of 16 by beating Mattia Bellucci 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, 6-3. Jack Draper’s shock exit to Marin Cillic means Norrie is the only Brit left in the men’s singles.
In his post-match press conference, he was questioned on his love life, which baffled the tennis star. The reporter first praised Norrie, telling him: “Congratulations again on your win.
“Apart from everyone here loving tennis, some of the gossip has been about who Emma Raducanu is dating. Can I ask if you’re dating her? Can we get to the bottom of this, please?”
A slouching Norrie quickly straightened up and widened his eyes befire asking: “Sorry?” Repeating his question, he said: “We’re trying to find out who is dating Emma Raducanu. It seems to be going round all the men’s singles. I was just wondering if you are dating her, please?”
With a confused look on his face, Norrie replied: “I’m not, no. You can ask her, though. You can ask her. I don’t know,” before he swiftly turned away.
THE most iconic tennis tournament in the world is BACK for another year of scintillating action.
All eyes turn to the capital, as tennis superstars, celebrities, royalty and tens of thousands of fans descend on Wimbledon for two weeks of non-stop action.
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Carlos Alcaraz is aiming to win a third successive Wimbledon titleCredit: The Times
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Coco Gauff is among a number of women’s singles stars aiming for a first Wimbledon titleCredit: Getty
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Emma Raducanu reached the fourth round in 2024Credit: GETTY
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Brit heartthrob Jack Draper is hoping to go past the second round for the first time
Back-to-back winner Carlos Alcaraz is looking to build on a thrilling Roland Garros victory over rival and world No 1 Jannik Sinner this summer.
The 22-year-old star has already gone one better in SW19 than Rafael Nadal as the only Spaniard to win the men’s singles tournament in consecutive years, with two Nadal’s two titles in 2008 and 2010 split by Roger Federer in 2009.
Furthermore, Alcaraz goes into the tournament fresh off a Queen’s Club win after beating Jiri Lehecka by straight sets.
Last year’s women’s finalist Jasmine Paolini will be among names such as Coco Cauff and Arnya Sabalenka in the list of women looking for their first singles title at Wimbledon.
Gauff and Sabalenka were Roland Garros finalists, while Paolini won the women’s doubles title alongside Sara Errani.
Barbora Krejcikova is the defending women’s champion but has endured an injury-hit season and lost in the first round at Queen’s.
When is Wimbledon 2025?
Wimbledon 2025 takes place over the course of two weeks in the summer
The tournament will be played between Monday, June 30 and Sunday, July 13.
The men’s singles final will be on Sunday, July 13 while the women’s singles final will be on Saturday, July 12.
How to watch Wimbledon 2025 for FREE in the UK
Wimbledon remains FREE to watch in the UK in 2025.
The BBC will show ALL of the action from the capital this summer.
While they will remain the main domestic broadcaster of the tournament, TNT Sports will show the men’s and women’s singles finals, as well as a 90 minute highlight package each day.
However, full coverage will remain free, as mentioned above, on the BBC.
It will be broadcast across BBC TV channels, the BBC Sport website and can be live streamed on iPlayer.
Alternatively, SunSport will be running a blog with all the latest news and live action as it happens from the All England Club.
Are tickets still available for Wimbledon 2025?
In short, yes – tickets are still available for EVERY day of Wimbledon.
It is a much tougher ask to guarantee exactly which matches you could see on a specific day, however.
The ballot for specific matches and tickets has closed but Wimbledon remains one of the only remaining sporting events where the public can buy tickets on the day of play.
The Queue remains a very popular way to attend the event, although we’d advise early arrival (or even the night before).
Each day it is possible to purchase a limited number of Show Court tickets or Grounds tickets.
The different tickets will allow specific access to certain courts.
There is limited availability on both, but tickets do also frequently become available later in the day should those already inside choose to leave.
Wimbledon also offers a variety of hospitality packages which includes fine-dining, complimentary drinks, prime seating, a concierge service and buggy shuttles to the Gate.
Alternatively, tickets for specific matches on Centre Court, Court 1 and elsewhere are available to purchase on secondary ticket sites such as StubHub.
Hospitality packages can also be purchased via Seat Unique.
*Please note that StubHub and similar secondary ticket resale sites may list tickets above face value.*
Wimbledon Ticket Options
There are a range of ways to get into Wimbledon…
The Queue
As one of the only major sporting events that allows guests to purchase tickets on the day of the event, demand is high.
Each day a large queue forms of people wanting either a Grounds or Show Court ticket – with many even arriving the night before and camping to guarantee a place.
Upon arrival, visitors are issued a Queue Card, which is numbered and dated and should be kept until a ticket has been purchased.
While there is a limited number of entries, it is possible to remain in the queue and wait for people already inside to leave, with those tickets then becoming available.
It is also possible to check the status of the queue on the Wimbledon website.
This year, organisers are asking potential queuers to download the Wimbledon app and create a myWimbledon account.
Show Tickets
If you get to the front of the queue, then there are a limited number of tickets available for purchase for Centre Court and Courts 1, 2 and 3.
Note that Centre Court tickets are available for the first 10 days of the tournament, the final four days were already pre-sold.
Prices vary depending on the Court, seat and day of the event and will increase the further into the tournament you visit.
For example, Centre Court rows A-T cost £105 on Day 1 and £315 on Day 14 (men’s final).
Grounds Pass
A Grounds Pass costs £30 and allows visitors to watch matches on Courts 3-18 on unreserved seats, though there will also be a queue to get into Court 3.
Ticket Resale
From 3pm each day, tickets may become available from people who have left Wimbledon and made their seat available.
A Grounds Pass is needed to join the virtual queue on the Wimbledon App.
Tickets cost £15 for Centre Court or £10 for Courts 1/2.
Hospitality
There are a range of hospitality packages still available on the Wimbledon website.
Hospitality packages offer guaranteed premium seating to major matches as well as fine dining experiences, complimentary drinks, a shuttle and concierge service.
Hospitality packages can also be purchased via Seat Unique.
Secondary Markets
Sites such as StubHub offer tickets for the main courts for specific days and times.
*Please note that StubHub and similar secondary ticket resale sites may list tickets above face value.*
JACK DRAPER is not only a huge rising star in tennis but also models for fashion magazines including Vogue.
But who is the Tennis-playing supermodel dating? Here’s everything you need to know about British No 1 – who has reached the semi-final of the US Open.
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Jack Draper has reached the semi-finals of the US OpenCredit: Splash
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Zendaya, the star of hit tennis film Challengers, even attended one of Jack’s matchesCredit: AP: Associated Press
Who is Jack Draper?
Jack was born on 22 December 2001, in Sutton, Surrey.
He is a star both on and off the court, as he has been ranked as high as No.25 in singles – although he will likely climb the rankings after his heroics at the US Open.
Although he is yet to win a Grand Slam, tennis is something that runs in his family.
His brother, Ben, is a former pro and his mum, Nicky, is a junior champion turned coach.
His father was even the chief executive of the LTA (Lawn Tennis Association), which is the national governing body of tennis in Great Britain, the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man.
Although they haven’t said that they are dating, Jack is close friends with Emma RaducanuCredit: Getty Images
He told Tatler: “I’m not that great with celebrities.
“We were at the US Open last year and everyone was making a big fuss over this girl who walked in and I had no idea who she was. I think she was called Zendaya?”
