"The Emma Raducanu shade";"He's so jealous... what a loser" - Fans confused by Jack Draper's 'weird' Jessica Pegula admission after US Open doubles

Jack Draper recently made an honest admission about his experience partnering with Jessica Pegula in the 2025 US Open mixed doubles. His comments, however, drew backlash from fans, with many dragging Emma Raducanu into the conversation.

Draper and Pegula teamed up for the first time at the US Open, creating a blockbuster pairing in the newly introduced mixed doubles event on August 19. Their campaign opened against one of the tournament’s most talked-about duos, Carlos Alcaraz and Raducanu.

The British-American duo made a strong start, ousting Alcaraz and Raducanu in straight sets before following it up with a win over Daniil Medvedev and Mirra Andreeva. Their run, however, came to an end in the semifinals with a loss to Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud.

Despite that, Jack Draper and Jessica Pegula admitted they had plenty of fun teaming up. Speaking to the media in New York, Draper candidly remarked that since pairing with Pegula, he now has someone to follow and support on the WTA Tour, a comment many fans felt was a subtle dig at his compatriot, Raducanu.

"The mixed doubles is amazing. Firstly, playing with Jessica Pegula, very, very cool girl, real one. Said to her, 'I am so pumped to be able to have someone to follow on the WTA Tour now and support.' It was just a cool moment," the ATP No. 5 said.

One X (formerly Twitter) user wrote:

"The Emmaur shade… he’s still angry about whatever happened during mixed doubles."

"He’s so livid and jealous. I would have respect for that if he would just own it instead of these sideways jabs like this shady bulls*it & the comments he made about Carlos and Emma playing. What a loser," another wrote.

One account tweeted:

"Okay I need to know wtf happened between him and Emmaur because it's getting weird now."

"So other wta players especially his fellow countrywomen didn’t exist before the mixed doubles thing or what..." one user commented.

"Broo u use to follow Emma matches, what's this deal with him , the sudden 180 degree shift," another joined in.

"He's so odd, it'd have been one thing if he was actually saying the truth abt not having any acquaintance in wta (still weird wording) but he's literally outright lying," one account tweeted.

Emma Raducanu & Jessica Pegula reach US Open 2R; Jack Draper yet to begin his campaign

Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper pictured at the 2025 US Open | Image Source: Getty

Emma Raducanu and Jessica Pegula have both advanced to the second round of the 2025 US Open, with Raducanu defeating Ena Shibahara and Pegula overcoming Mayar Sherif. Jack Draper, meanwhile, will begin his campaign against Federico Gomez on Monday, August 25.

Earlier, Raducanu and Draper stirred some chatter among fans after appearing awkward and skipping a hug at the net following their mixed doubles match. However, they seem to have put that moment behind them as they now look to push deeper into the tournament.

About the author

Pritha is one of the driving forces behind Sportskeeda's tennis coverage, serving as an assistant content manager and editor. What began as a casual escape from her tiring biotechnology degree course in early 2022 has blossomed into a passion she loves, cherishes, and breathes every day.

Pritha’s love for the sport was spawned by her dad who showed her clips of "GOAT" Steffi Graf’s matches. Despite a thwarted dream of playing professionally due to injury, she finds solace in reporting the sport, while also mentoring other writers to ensure every article is error-free and top-notch. She double-checks credible sources, such as the tournament/player handles and big tennis media outlets, and gives proper credit where required.

Pritha's journey at Sportskeeda is marked by more than 2000 articles and close to 16 million views, with the "dream-come-true" moment of having her article shared by Chris Evert serving as a highlight of her career. A lifelong Wimbledon fan, Pritha also adores Rafael Nadal, Elena Rybakina, and Naomi Osaka.

When she's not seeking unique angles to elevate tennis coverage at Sportskeeda, she loves to channel her inner astrophysics "nerd" by exploring new sci-fi series and movies. A big Lionel Messi, Lewis Hamilton, and Randy Orton fan, she is always ready to engage in sports conversations anytime, anywhere, albeit not without a cup of coffee.

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Edited by Pritha Ghosh