The much-talked-about pairing of Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz fell to an early exit in the US Open’s mixed doubles competition on Tuesday, losing their first-round match and failing to win a set.

In the final, they beat third seeds Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud with a 6-3, 5-7, 10-6 scoreline. Before reaching the final, the Italian pair knocked out the American pair of Danielle Collins and Christian Harrison in straight sets. In the on-court interview, then, Vavassori declared, “ We have been on a mission .”