Dream team to reunite? Jessica Pegula hints at partnering Jack Draper at US Open mixed doubles

Following the turbulent yet entertaining experience they had together last year, Jessica Pegula has unveiled her intentions of again competing with Jack Draper at the US Open mixed doubles.

The tournament underwent a huge change in 2025, getting top singles players involved in the action. The likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina all competed in the shortened format.

It was moved to fan week ahead of the main tournaments instead of competing in tandem like other events do. It was more for an entertainment factor, getting in more people to Flushing Meadows to watch the best singles players in the world team up to create fun and intriguing partnerships.

In the end, the winners were a doubles pair. Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori got into the tournament via them winning it last year. They would add another Grand Slam to their illustrious collection after getting the better of Swiatek and Casper Ruud in the final.

Pegula and Draper would team up in a late switch of pairings. Draper was supposed to team up with Qinwen Zheng and then Paula Badosa, but injuries to the pair halted any chance of that occurring. They did not know each other very well, and that led to a lot of bickering and arguing. However, Pegula admitted the experience was a good one.

There were a couple of re-pairings with some of the teams based on who was going to play," she said last year. "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."

Draper was in the headlines for much of the tournament. After winning their opening match against Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu, the former world number four went to hug his fellow British player. Raducanu snubbed his efforts, settling for a handshake instead.

In the press conference, Draper unsettled Pegula after saying that it was an 'exhibition'. "He shouldn’t be saying that, but that’s OK," Pegula responded. Draper smiled it off.

Their run ended against Ruud and Swiatek in the semi-finals, with both players admitting the experience was a good one. "We're a team. It was a lot of fun. We had a lot of funny things said in between the points. Yeah, it was good. Pumping each other up, as well," Pegula said. She has since stated in a press conference at the Berlin Ladies Open that she would be open to joining forces once more with the former US Open semi-finalist.

They were automatic entries last year, but with Draper suffering a steep ranking drop following a hefty stint on the sidelines, the pair will need hoped to be picked as one of the wildcards for the tournament, taking place at Flushing Meadows between the 19-20 August.