Draper accidentally revealed in an interview that the US Open mixed doubles is an exhibition match, and Pegula’s shocked reaction turned into a famous moment.

There has been much controversy over the US Open mixed doubles format change, but professional players seem very taciturn, with almost no one speaking out. However, yesterday, the straightforward British player Draper slipped up, which startled Pegula sitting nearby, whose shocked expression made the entire internet burst into laughter.

As one of the five official events in a Grand Slam, this year the US Open made sweeping reforms to mixed doubles, significantly increasing prize money and simplifying the format, attracting many top singles players to participate. While generating huge traffic and ticket revenue, many fans questioned: is this still a Grand Slam event? Seeing Djokovic break into a dance after scoring, and fans counting how many times Alcaraz and Raducanu interacted on court, it feels more like an exhibition than the traditional intense and competitive matches.

British player Draper shares this view; in a candid post-match interview, he said, “Of course, it’s meaningful, but clearly it feels a bit like an exhibition. Still, partnering with others is great.”

This comment alarmed Pegula, Draper’s doubles partner sitting nearby. After a brief look of surprise, Pegula quickly tried to smooth things over: “You shouldn’t say that, but it’s okay. This is not an exhibition. But I understand what you mean.”

Yet Draper, sticking to his straightforward nature, didn’t stop there. He continued, “I hear this a lot—that it’s a bit like an exhibition, kind of fun. Why shouldn’t I enjoy it? It’s a great opportunity to perform well and get plenty of matches before next week. I really enjoy this kind of obsession; I don’t see why being obsessed should be a crime.”

Hearing this, Pegula could only awkwardly smile along. She then laughed and said, “Okay, that’s fine. I was just laughing at the ‘exhibition’ part.”

After this video was released, it went viral on social media. Many netizens felt Draper was too blunt, since many players know but don’t speak out to avoid offending the US Open organizers. “Straightforward BOY confirmed. Seeing Pegula freaking out beside him is hilarious! It’s like someone desperately trying to save you, but that person insists on jumping into the pit themselves. Anyway, this is the US Open; you have to give the officials some face. Angering them won’t end well,” one user commented.

However, it’s worth noting Draper isn’t the only player calling mixed doubles an exhibition. Czech star Muchova also said after partnering Rublev to a first-round win: “We played an exhibition. We heard about this exhibition months ago, so we thought why not give it a try?”

In response to the controversy over the US Open mixed doubles being called an exhibition, US Open director Stacey Allaster stepped in for crisis management, emphasizing that the format change aims to focus on tennis stars rather than specialists: “Let me be very clear: this is a Grand Slam event, not an exhibition. We understand the dissatisfaction from doubles specialists, but when fans see top players competing together, it not only excites viewership but also promotes participation—the growth of the sport will benefit in the long run.”

She then cited data highlighting the great success of this year’s US Open mixed doubles reform: viewership rose sharply by 300%, with average attendance increasing from 4,200 last year to 23,700 this year. Matches featuring Alcaraz and Raducanu were sold out, even with ticket prices marked up five times, proving the reform’s success.

However, despite huge profits, many complaints remain. Among the 16 mixed doubles pairs at this year’s US Open, only the Italian duo Errani/Vavassori are professional doubles players, and they entered via a wildcard. This means many players who rely on doubles as their livelihood have lost an important source of income, prompting the lament: “The capital market is so ruthless and merciless.”

Three-time US Open mixed doubles champion Jamie Murray from Britain remarked, “It’s frustrating; the prize money goes to players who already earn big.” Doubles expert Graspur sarcastically said, “Singles players casually teaming up to take away the prize money we’ve fought for all year—where’s the fairness in that?”

The US Open mixed doubles event has concluded, but the controversy over the reform remains unresolved. Many are more concerned about how the other three Grand Slams will respond—whether they will adopt the US Open’s mixed doubles model. We will have to wait for further updates and watch how things unfold!(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Lu Xiaotian)