Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper had spoken approximately four words to one another before being paired together in the US Open mixed doubles. Both players prefer headphones and minimal small talk. Pegula is world No. 4 and Draper world No. 5. Pegula was originally paired with Tommy Paul, and Draper had been slated to play with Zheng Qinwen then Paula Badosa before withdrawals. Tournament organizers paired them and they defeated Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz in the first round, then Mirra Andreeva and Daniil Medvedev in the second. They expressed surprise at the strong partnership and lost in the semifinals to Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud, 3-5, 5-3.
"Four tops, max," she insists.
"We don't talk to them," he said, only partially joking.
"I felt like once we got going, it seemed like it was going to be a better partnership than maybe I even thought," Pegula said.
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