Jack Draper recently shared his thoughts after being criticized for being too “locked in” during his mixed doubles match at the 2025 US Open against Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz. The Brit’s partner for the mixed doubles event, Jessica Pegula, also came to his defense.
Draper and Pegula have teamed up for the new format of the US Open mixed doubles event. They are the top seeds and began their campaign by defeating the wild card duo of Alcaraz and Raducanu in the first round with a score of 4-2, 4-2. They followed that up by triumphing over Daniil Medvedev and Mirra Andreeva in the quarterfinals, winning 4-1, 4-1.
What Did Jack Draper and Jessica Pegula Say About Him Being ‘Locked In’ During the 2025 US Open Mixed Doubles?
During a press conference after their quarterfinal victory at the 2025 US Open mixed doubles, Draper expressed confusion over the criticism he received for being “locked in” during the match. After his first-round match against Alcaraz and Raducanu, some tennis fans suggested that he played a bit too aggressively.
The World No. 5 stated that he enjoys being focused while playing and believes it is not a “crime” to have that intensity.
“I’m hearing that a lot, it’s a bit of an exhibition, a bit of fun, why am I so locked in. It’s a good opportunity to play, do well, get a lot of points in before next week, yeah. Like, I’m enjoying being locked in. I don’t know why it’s a crime to be locked in,” Draper said.
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Pegula also defended Draper, asserting that it doesn’t matter how he plays. She also added that everyone is competing to win, and being competitive is a positive trait.
“It’s been awesome. He’s coming back from injury. Taking that into perspective, playing at a high level is really cool. I don’t think you can take that for granted. I’ve loved that aspect of it. Anytime you can get out there and get extra reps and compete and win matches, I mean, that’s why we play. To me, it doesn’t really matter.” Pegula said.
After concluding their mixed doubles campaign at the 2025 US Open, Draper and Pegula will compete in the singles event from Aug. 24 to Sept. 7 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City.
In 2024, both Draper and Pegula finished as runners-up after losing to Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka in their respective finals.
Who Will Jack Draper and Jessica Pegula Face at the 2025 US Open Mixed Doubles Semifinal?
Following their victory over Medvedev and Andreeva in the quarterfinals of the 2025 US Open mixed doubles, Draper and Pegula will face the third-seeded pair of Iga Świątek and Casper Ruud in the semifinals.
Świątek and Ruud started their campaign at the New York Major with a 4-1, 4-2 win against the American duo of Madison Keys and Frances Tiafoe in the first round. They then advanced to the semifinals by defeating the wild card team of Caty McNally and Lorenzo Musetti, also with a score of 4-1, 4-2 in the quarterfinals.
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The winner of the semifinal match between Draper and Pegula and the team of Świątek and Ruud will move on to face either the defending champions, Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, or the American duo of Danielle Collins and Christian Harrison.
