'Honestly, I didn’t know him at all': Jessica Pegula's last minute US Open mixed doubles tandem with Jack Draper that nearly gleamed top prize

From Buffalo, New York, to the biggest stage in tennis, Jessica Pegula has built herself into one of the sport’s most consistent stars. A year ago, she reached her first Grand Slam singles final inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, and she returns this year as world number four with three titles already added to her résumé in 2025. On Wednesday night, she also teamed with Britain’s Jack Draper to reach the semifinals of the newly reimagined U.S. Open Mixed Doubles Championships.

As she stepped on stage in front of the fans at the U.S. Open, Pegula was warmly introduced to cheers that filled the stadium. “Thank you so much, Jessica, for joining us here today,” the host said, before asking about her memories of last year’s run. Pegula didn’t hesitate to credit the New York atmosphere. “Well, I mean, I have to say the fans, definitely,” she said. “You guys definitely make this tournament so special—so much energy, a crazy atmosphere. Even playing the mixed the other night, it was so much fun. So you guys, honestly, I feel like you’re the big difference maker here in New York.”

That mixed doubles run with Jack Draper turned into one of her highlights of the week. “Yeah, it was so much fun. I didn’t really know what to expect,” she admitted. “There were a couple of re-pairings with some of the teams based on who was going to play. Honestly, I didn’t know him at all, but we got along really well right away. And I thought our games matched up really well on court, so it ended up being a ton of fun. I’m so glad we got to go out on Ashe night match and experience that together. It was his first time, so that was kind of cool. And he got to really experience the Ashe atmosphere, which I think was awesome. Now I’m scheduled second night match Sunday night as well. So I get to be back out there at night, and yeah, I’m really excited for it.”

The buzz of a night session

The night sessions in New York are legendary, and Pegula admitted the emotions are hard to put into words. “Oh my gosh. It’s unexplainable, to be honest. It’s a feeling you can’t really explain. And I think it’s something that we all as players really play for is that moment because it’s so much fun and it’s so cool. And I think you get to look at your day job and be like, wow, this is pretty awesome. So it’s a special moment, and it goes quickly. So I think I always kind of cherish the moments that I do get to come out here, especially for a night session, and really kind of embrace it.”

Pegula enters the tournament in form, with three titles already in 2025. “Yeah, I mean, I feel good. I’ve had a really great year,” she explained. “Last year, this second half of the year was the best part of my year. So it’s funny how the beginning has kind of already been better than it was the previous year. But that’s tennis. It’s a long season, a long year. You never really know when results are going to come. And that’s the one thing that I love is you can always turn it around the next week. So excited to be here, excited to play in the U.S. I love playing here, and just excited to see how it goes.”