Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu teamed up for mixed doubles at the 2025 US Open, and it’s safe to say they created quite the buzz. Former tennis star Andy Roddick just shared what he really thinks was going on during their matches.
The US Open changed things up this year with a new mixed doubles format during fan week. It made it easier for the big-name players to jump in and play.
But it also stirred up some controversy since regular doubles specialists got pushed out.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carlos Alcaraz | 22 | 68,791 | 25 - 5 |
Sure, there were other exciting pairs like Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud. But Alcaraz and Raducanu? They had everyone talking. Fans couldn’t stop speculating about whether these two might be more than just tennis partners.
Those rumors really took off when Alcaraz admitted he personally asked to play with Raducanu.
Then Raducanu showed up to watch his singles matches at Queen’s Club and Wimbledon. That definitely got people’s attention.
They ended up losing in the first round to Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper. Pegula and Draper actually became pretty good friends after their own entertaining press conferences and interviews.
Despite the loss, Alcaraz and Raducanu were laughing and having a blast throughout their match. They looked like they were having the time of their lives out there.
People were split on what they were seeing. Were they flirting? Or just two tennis players enjoying themselves?
Roddick didn’t hold back when he gave his take during a live podcast episode at the 2025 Laver Cup. The 2003 US Open champion thinks he knows exactly what was happening on that court.
"I mean, they just wanted to flirt for an hour, like, what are we doing here? There, I said it, whatever, I don’t care, release the beast. I don’t care."
Jon Wertheim, Roddick’s podcast partner, couldn’t resist poking fun at how much Alcaraz has changed his look since then. The guy went from that shaggy hair to nearly bald during his US Open singles win, and now he’s gone blonde.
Wertheim: "That shaggy haired man with brown or black hair?"
Roddick: "That was like four haircuts ago for Carlos, who cares?"
Wertheim quickly switched topics after that. He probably didn’t want to dwell too much on a player’s appearance, especially after his suspension from Tennis Channel last year for making comments about Barbora Krejcikova’s forehead.
Alcaraz thrived in the 2025 Laver Cup doubles
At this year’s Laver Cup, Alcaraz started things off in doubles with Jakub Mensik. That’s actually what got Roddick talking about all this on his podcast.
They beat Taylor Fritz and Alex Michelsen, giving Team Europe a solid 3-1 lead after day one.
But the Laver Cup format keeps things interesting. Day two matches are worth two points each, and the final day bumps it up to three points per match.
Alcaraz faces Fritz again on Saturday evening – the same guy he beat last year to clinch a 13-11 victory for Team Europe.
Right now, Alcaraz is sharing the top spot in tennis with Jannik Sinner. He’d really have to be off his game to lose this one. Roddick and Team World captain Andre Agassi were actually joking around about Alcaraz being "overrated" in a pretty funny moment at the Laver Cup.
