The moment everyone’s been waiting for is here! The final slam of the season. And it’s time for the highly anticipated mixed doubles event. What began as a new format met with skepticism turned into pure excitement when a star-studded entry list dropped a month ago. To kick things off, Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu faced Jack Draper and Jessica Pegula. Two British No. 1s on the same court, a US Open champion and a runner-up across the net. The match had it all. But one thing caught Pegula’s eye!

On Tuesday night, Draper and Pegula took center stage in New York. They toppled Alcaraz and Raducanu’s pairing with a sharp 4-2, 4-2 win. The new shortened format is part of the US Open’s bold “reimagination” of mixed doubles. But for Pegula, it wasn’t just the win. It was the energy. The fans filled every seat, cheering relentlessly, and that roar sold it for Jessica.

In her post-match interview, Draper summed it up first. He told the crowd it “doesn’t get better than this.” Then it was Jessica Pegula’s turn. A little cheeky, she admitted what the night meant to her compared to other tournaments. “The stadium’s been packed, so thanks everyone for showing up. That was such a fun atmosphere! Even if it meant a couple highlight shots by Carlos, it was still really fun.” And it’s true! When it came to the highlights, there were plenty.

Even in defeat, Alcaraz lit up the court. His flair came alive in the second set, early in the second game. Draper fired a return past Raducanu, and it looked finished. Suddenly, Alcaraz sprinted behind her, curling the ball around the net. Point won, 15-40. The Arthur Ashe crowd exploded. Pegula, watching it unfold, could only grin at the outrageous shot she didn’t see coming.

It wasn’t even the only time Jessica got caught off guard by the duo. In the opening set at 3-2, during a fiery rally, Emma Raducanu fired a return right at Jessica Pegula. The American ducked just in time as the ball swished past her, handing the point to Carlos and Emma. It was unintentional, but the crowd’s reaction was loud and electric.

In the end, Pegula and Draper took the victory before moving on to face Daniil Medvedev and Mirra Andreeva. While the World No.4 is doing well in mixed doubles, she admitted she wasn’t quite feeling at her best after her warm-up tournaments ended abruptly.

Jessica Pegula gets honest about form ahead of US Open

After exiting Wimbledon in the first round, Pegula headed into the American swing hoping her home crowd would lift her spirits. But it wasn’t the breakthrough she needed. Following a first-round exit in Washington, she stumbled again in the Round of 32 against Anastasija Sevastova, despite beating Maria Sakkari in straight sets earlier. Later, Jessica didn’t hold back on her frustrations. “Hasn’t been great, to be honest. I don’t really feel like I’m playing great tennis. At times I am, but I feel very up and down, kind of sloppy. Which I don’t like,” she said with clear honesty.

During the earlier tournaments, Jessica Pegula’s perfectionist side was exposed. She opened up about the rhythm and sharpness she’s struggled to find lately. “It really bothers me. I’m kind of a perfectionist, so I don’t like having to say that. But I mean, I feel like I’ve gone through phases of my career, a few tournaments where I feel like that sometimes and you got to figure out how to get out of it and not, you know, feel sorry for yourself or make excuses,” she explained, carrying a visible weight of pressure.

But Pegula’s fire hasn’t dimmed. “I got to figure it out, and you have to do it, you know, in those moments in matches where you’re in that moment where you know you have to compete and figure things out. And I don’t think I’ve been able to do it great the last couple matches,” she admitted honestly. But Cincinnati didn’t change the script. As the fourth seed, she fell to Magda Linette in a tight three-setter (7-6(5), 3-6, 6-3).

On the other hand, don’t count Jessica Pegula out yet. She’s bagged three titles this season—Bad Homburg, Charleston, and Austin—and reached finals in Miami and Adelaide. She’s solid at No. 4 in the rankings and returns to the US Open as last year’s runner-up. Could this be her moment? Let us know what you think!