Jack Draper steps in as Jessica Pegula apologises for US Open comments

Jack Draper has made it clear that Jessica Pegula, a former world No. 1 in doubles, didn't "let down" the team at the US Open on Wednesday night. The British-American duo paired up for the revamped mixed doubles tournament and reached the semi-finals before losing a tight match to Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud.

On day one of the event, Pegula scolded Draper for mistakenly calling the tournament an "exhibition" during a hilarious post-match press conference. But the world No. 4 didn't want to reignite the discussion after their semi-final loss, and apologised to her partner for telling him off.

Draper and Pegula teamed up at the last minute when their previous partners pulled out of the mixed doubles tournament. They were the No. 1 seeds, having the best combined singles ranking, and took out Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz, and Mirra Andreeva and Daniil Medvedev on Tuesday.

"Obviously it is like a bit of an exhibition format," Draper said on day one of the tournament, before Pegula interrupted. "You shouldn't be saying that, but that's okay. It's not an exhibition. I know what you're saying," she told him.

Whether or not Draper knew the new mixed doubles wasn't an exhibition, both he and Pegula made it clear that they were desperate to win. "I don't know why it's a crime to be locked in," the Brit added on Tuesday.

They were just as dialled in on Wednesday night, meeting Swiatek and Ruud in the semis. But it wasn't to be, as the top seeds blew an 8-4 lead in the first-to-10 point tiebreak, losing 5-3 3-5 [10-8].

Afterwards, the Brit-American team were asked whether the intensity of the match quashed any suggestions that the mixed doubles was more like an exhibition rather than a Grand Slam event in its own right.

But Pegula didn't want to get involved. "I apologise. I felt like I kind of scolded him yesterday in press, so... I'm not going to say anything," she said.

The former world No. 1 in doubles also felt she had let her partner down, adding: "I feel more sad, honestly, than after a singles match in a way. I feel like I kind of let him down a little bit.

"But besides that, I really wanted to play another match. I had so much fun. Like, we got along really well. I was hoping we could get to the finish line there."

Draper wanted to make it clear that he didn't feel the same way. When asked what they had learned about one another while playing doubles together, the world No. 5 interjected.

"I mean, let me clear that up, by the way. She said she let me down. Absolutely not. The first set, you completely carried me through. That set, I was poor and you were amazing, so..." he said.

"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."

Both Draper and Pegula will now turn their attention to the singles draw, which kicks off on Sunday. Both of them enjoyed career milestones in Flushing Meadows last year - Draper reached his first Grand Slam semi-final, and Pegula made it to her first Major final - and they'll be hoping to go all the way this time.

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