Williams and Alcaraz Thrill in Mixed Doubles
Serena Williams returned to the US Open for the first time in four years and partnered with Carlos Alcaraz in the mixed doubles, producing an electric atmosphere at Arthur Ashe Stadium before the pair exited in the quarter-finals.
The 44-year-old American and the 23-year-old Spaniard, entered as wild cards, defeated Britain’s Lloyd Glasspool and New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe 5-3, 4-1 in their opening match. They were then beaten 5-4 (7-4), 4-1 by Italy’s Flavio Cobolli and Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic. The ties were played under the tournament’s shortened “fast-four” format introduced the previous year to attract top singles players.
About 15,000 spectators packed Arthur Ashe for the headline act. Williams was competing in New York for the first time since she stepped away from tennis in 2022, with Alcaraz playing his first competitive match since a wrist injury in April. The pair were greeted by huge cheers and played with visible enjoyment, exchanging smiles and encouragement.
Alcaraz admitted early nerves. “Everyone could see I was really nervous, I double-faulted on the first point,” he said after the opening win. “I was out for almost five months and I almost forgot how it feels stepping out on the court once again.” Williams helped settle him quickly. “I’m playing next to the one and only Serena Williams, so what else can I do? Just enjoy and try to do the things she told me to do,” he added.
Williams reflected on the occasion: “It’s always amazing to be here. I never expected to be back on this court. It was just a really cool moment. I never thought this would happen.” She had previously won the US Open mixed doubles title in 1998 with Max Mirnyi – five years before Alcaraz was born. Together the pair hold 30 Grand Slam singles titles.
The quarter-final proved a steeper test. Cobolli and Bencic forced a first-set tiebreak and converted it, then pulled away in the second. “To play Carlos and Serena, it is a great honour,” Bencic said. Cobolli noted the difficulty of the occasion inside the stadium.
The revamped mixed doubles format continued to favour singles stars. All four established doubles specialist pairings lost on the opening day. Top seeds Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka exited early, while other high-profile combinations advanced. Williams is not entered in the women’s singles; Alcaraz now turns his full attention to defending his singles title when the main draw begins.
The night offered a rare crossover of eras and legacies. Williams and Alcaraz did not progress further, yet their appearance under the lights in Queens delivered a memorable reminder of the sport’s capacity to draw crowds and generate pure theatre.
