Awkward – Women's Tennis Star Refuses Postgame Hug After Match
Awkward – Women's Tennis Star Refuses Postgame Hug After Match originally appeared on The Spun.
The 2025 US Open's revamped mixed doubles tournament kicked off this Tuesday with a star-studded lineup that included the team of Carlos Alcaraz and Emma Raducanu.
There was plenty of hype surrounding Alcaraz and Raducanu despite their lack of chemistry on the court. Alcaraz, 22, has been the talk of the tennis world for the past few years. The world No. 2 is already a five-time Grand Slam champion and is roughly 24 hours removed from winning the Cincinnati Masters. Raducanu, on the other hand, is slowly but surely climbing back up the WTA rankings.
During the opening round of the mixed doubles tournament, Alcaraz and Raducanu squared off against Jack Draper and Jessica Pegula. They were no match for them, which makes sense considering Pegula was once the No. 1 doubles player in the world.
While this Tuesday's match provided plenty of fireworks, it was Raducanu's post-match interaction with Draper that grabbed everyone's attention.
Fans noticed that Raducanu didn't hug Draper after the match was over. It wouldn't have looked that awkward if Alcaraz had the same exchange with Pegula. However, they had a very friendly embrace at the net.
Raducanu's interaction with Draper sparks speculation.
"This coldness….we can confirm they were a thing," one fan wrote on X.
"Why would she hug him? The way he was acting and targeting her all match was so stupid. I'm glad she ignored," a second fan commented.
"Oh no the Brits are fighting," a third fan said.
"How ridiculous, she’s so childish," another fan declared.
Raducanu didn’t want to hug Draper🤣 pic.twitter.com/wvKypE7FZV
— K (@bethdutton_k) August 19, 2025
With the win on Tuesday afternoon, Draper and Pegula secured a second-round match against Mirra Andreeva and Daniil Medvedev.
As for Alcaraz and Raducanu, they'll now get ready for the US Open's main draw. The first round will begin on Sunday afternoon.
Alcaraz has the second-best odds (+145) to win the US Open. He only trails the reigning champion, Jannik Sinner (+110).
Moving over to the women's bracket, Raducanu is currently at +4000 to win it all. If she's going to recapture the magic that made her champion in 2021, she'll need to take down some of the top players in the world, such as Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek.
Awkward – Women's Tennis Star Refuses Postgame Hug After Match first appeared on The Spun on Aug 19, 2025
This story was originally reported by The Spun on Aug 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
