Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz are set to form a formidable mixed doubles team as they make their return to the U.S. Open. The U.S. Tennis Association recently revealed that Williams and Alcaraz received a wild card entry into the tournament, with the mixed doubles main draw commencing on Tuesday and a prize pool of $1 million US up for grabs.
This marks Williams’ first appearance at the U.S. Open since 2022, as the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion made her comeback to tennis earlier this summer. Alcaraz expressed his excitement by posting a message on X with a fire emoji, tagging Williams in the process.
While Williams will not be participating in singles matches in New York, the USTA initially reserved a women’s wild card, which was later awarded to American Sofia Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open winner. Williams, who recently faced a knee injury at Wimbledon, competed in doubles alongside her sister Venus at the Cincinnati Open and may still choose to compete together at the U.S. Open.
Alcaraz, the two-time U.S. Open men’s champion ranked No. 2, announced his return to defend his U.S. Open singles title after recovering from a right wrist injury that had sidelined him since April. Notably, Williams had already secured a mixed doubles title at the U.S. Open in 1998, even before winning any of her six singles titles there, partnering with Max Mirnyi.
In light of some player withdrawals, the USTA made several updates to the competition field. American pair Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz will team up, while other wild cards were awarded to Emma Navarro and Tommy Paul, as well as Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik. Diana Shnaider, existing in the field, will have the opportunity to find a new partner following Daniil Medvedev’s withdrawal.
The current mixed doubles lineup features top players like Sabalenka, Djokovic, Swiatek, Ruud, Bencic, Cobolli, and others, including the dynamic duo of Williams and Alcaraz. The final two spots will be determined through an eight-team qualifying tournament, with additional wild card entries given to specific pairs.