5 most talked about things during US Open's experimental mixed doubles event ft. Emma Raducanu & Carlos Alcaraz partnership, Jannik Sinner's controversial withdrawal 

The reimagined mixed doubles event at the US Open 2025 was highly publicized. While initial reception to the idea was mixed, with throngs of fans attending the event, the new version could become a permanent fixture. The two-day extravaganza wrapped up on Wednesday, August 20.

Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori beat Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud to claim the title, backing up their triumph from a year ago. Novak Djokovic, Venus Williams, Carlos Alcaraz, Ben Shelton, and Amanda Anisimova were among the other high-profile names in the fray.

The two-day event had plenty of memorable moments, both good and bad. Here's a look at five of the most talked-about moments from the revamped mixed doubles event at the US Open 2025:

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#1. Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu's partnership steals the spotlight

The pairing of Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz courted considerable media attention ever since the entry list for mixed doubles was announced. Their chemistry fueled speculation of a blossoming romance, which was denied by them as well as their peers. Even Chris Evert shut down that line of questioning with her curt response.

With both players being media darlings, a deep run from them would've surely led to an increase in viewership. However, they lost 4-2, 4-2 to top seeds Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper in the first round. Regardless of the outcome, the two thoroughly enjoyed their time together on the court. It wouldn't be too surprising to see them competing in another mixed doubles event down the line.

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#2. Jack Draper leaves Nike for the upcoming brand Vuori

Jack Draper (L) at the US Open 2025. (Photo: Getty)

Jack Draper has been missing in action since his second-round exit from Wimbledon due to an injury. When he returned to the tour to play mixed doubles at the US Open, he arrived sporting a brand new look. The Brit has been with Nike since his junior days. He donned outfits from them during his semifinal finish in New York last year and his triumph at the Indian Wells Masters earlier this year.

However, Draper's contract with them recently came to an end. Instead of renewing it, he opted to become the face of a new brand, Vuori, and made his debut with them at the US Open. The California-based athleisure brand is keen on making its presence felt on the global stage, and signing Draper is its first step towards that goal.

Draper will have his signature line with Vuori as part of their deal. Aside from tennis, he has frequently dabbled in the world of fashion, even modeling for Burberry in the past. Teaming up with a rising fashion brand seems the perfect move for him at this stage of his career.

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#3. Jannik Sinner's last-minute withdrawal leaves Katerina Siniakova hanging

Jannik Sinner had initially partnered Emma Navarro for mixed doubles at the US Open. However, the latter had second thoughts and opted to participate in the Monterrey Open instead. Since this happened before the draw on August 17, he still had time to look for a new partner.

In the meantime, Sinner also booked his place in the final of the Cincinnati Open, which was set for Monday, August 18. He decided to team up with doubles star Katerina Siniakova, a former World No. 1 in the discipline with 11 Major titles to her name.

Unfortunately, Sinner's health took a turn for the worse, and he was forced to retire from the Cincinnati Open final against Carlos Alcaraz after going down 5-0. He eventually withdrew from mixed doubles as well, and this left Siniakova without a partner.

Since the draw had already come out, she didn't have the luxury to look for a new partner, thus getting the short end of the stick. Even though Sinner's withdrawal was based on a legitimate reason, the way Siniakova was treated didn't go down well with fans, who took to social media to air out their frustrations.

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#4. Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori prove that doubles stars are here to stay

Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori at the US Open 2025. (Photo: Getty)

The new mixed doubles format at the US Open prioritized singles players over doubles pros. Out of the 16 teams, eight were decided based on the combined singles rankings of the players, while the other eight were awarded wildcards. The main goal of the organizers was to attract more eyeballs due to the popularity of singles stars.

Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori were the defending champions and were initially unsure of whether they would even get an opportunity to compete. They were given a wildcard and made a statement with a successful title defense. They beat plenty of top singles players en route to the title.

The Italians ousted Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz, both top 10 players in singles, in the first round. Top 20 players Karolina Muchova and Andrey Rublev were next in the firing line for them, followed by former top 10 player Danielle Collins and her partner, doubles pro Christian Harrison.

Errani and Vavassori capped off their run with a win over six-time Major champion Iga Swiatek and three-time Major finalist Casper Ruud. The duo dedicated their win to their fellow doubles players, most of whom didn't get the opportunity to compete this time.

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#5. Players couldn't shake off the feeling that the US Open mixed doubles was an exhibition event

The new mixed doubles format at the US Open had players feeling that they were playing an exhibition instead of a Grand Slam. Except for the final, all other rounds were played in a best-of-four games per set instead of the traditional six. Jessica Pegula playfully chided her partner, Jack Draper, for referring to the event as an exhibition during their post-match press conference.

"Obviously it is like a bit of an exhibition format. It’s nice to play with someone,” Draper said.

"You shouldn't be saying that, but that's OK," Pegula responded.

Karolina Muchova also did the same. She previously competed in an exhibition event in Macau with Andrey Rublev, and the duo also teamed up at the US Open. After their first-round win over Venus Williams and Reilly Opelka, she stated that since she enjoyed her time with the Russian in their previous exhibition event, she wanted to give this one a try as well.

"We played an exhibition, and we heard that months later there was this exhibition, so we thought why not try it again? We had fun in Macau and we had fun today," Muchova said.

With the shortened and fast-paced format, not many felt that this wasn't a proper Grand Slam event. However, a sold-out stadium suggests otherwise, making this experimental format a hit from the organizers' point of view.