The headline attraction of this year's US Open mixed doubles featured an unlikely but thrilling partnership: tennis legend Serena Williams joining forces with the rising star Carlos Alcaraz. Their run captured the imagination of fans, as the duo surged to the quarterfinals before falling to the fourth‑seeded team of Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli.
Williams, who boasts an astonishing 23 Grand Slam singles titles, made a highly publicized return to professional tennis in June at the age of 44. After a two‑year hiatus, she notched her first tour‑level victory since 2022 when she and Alcaraz defeated the British pair Lloyd Glasspool and Erin Routliffe in the opening round. The match was a symbolic passing of the torch, as Alcaraz—only 22—was making his own comeback after a wrist injury forced him out of competition since April. The Spaniard, already a multiple‑major champion, was born five years after Williams captured the mixed doubles crown at Flushing Meadows in 1998, adding a generational twist to their collaboration.
The opening match began slowly for the American‑Spanish team. Glasspool and Routliffe took an early lead, putting pressure on the newly formed partnership. However, Williams and Alcaraz quickly found their rhythm, using aggressive net play and powerful baseline shots to turn the tide. They secured a 5‑3, 4‑1 victory, much to the delight of the crowd inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.
"I never expected to be back on this court," Williams confessed afterward, her voice tinged with both awe and gratitude. "I never thought this would happen." Riding the momentum of their first‑round triumph, the pair prepared for a quarterfinal showdown against the formidable fourth seeds, Belinda Bencic of Switzerland and Italy's Flavio Cobolli.
Bencic, a seasoned singles competitor, and Cobolli, an emerging talent, had already announced their intent by dubbing their opponents "the queen of tennis and the king of now" before the match began. The contest proved to be a tightly contested affair. Williams and Alcaraz started strongly, but the seasoned doubles specialists gradually imposed their tactical acumen, exploiting gaps in the makeshift partnership's coordination. Ultimately, Bencic and Cobolli prevailed with a 5‑4, 4‑1 scoreline, ending the dream run for the celebrity duo.
The loss raised questions about Williams' future in doubles competition. While she has ruled out a repeat of her singles comeback at Wimbledon, speculation remains about whether she might team up with her older sister Venus in women's doubles.
A sister‑pairing would echo the successful Williams sisters' legacy and could provide a more stable platform for Serena's continued involvement in the sport. The mixed doubles event itself has undergone significant changes this year.
Organisers revamped the format last season, shrinking the draw and moving the competition to the week preceding the singles main draw. The aim was to attract top singles players by offering a standalone slot and a more viewer‑friendly schedule.
The new structure proved commercially successful, selling out venues and drawing marquee names, even as some doubles purists argued it marginalized established specialist teams. In parallel storylines, top seeds Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka suffered an early exit in the opening round, losing 1‑4, 4‑2, 10‑2 to Britain's Henry Patten and Czech star Katerina Siniakova. Djokovic, a 24‑time Grand Slam champion, and Sabalenka, a four‑time major winner, started the match by taking the first set but were unable to sustain their level against the experienced doubles pair.
Patten and Siniakova rallied, clinching the second set and then dominating the match tiebreak. Siniakova sealed the upset with an ace on match point, underscoring the unpredictable nature of the mixed doubles format where a single bad game can swing momentum dramatically.
The tournament also highlighted the continued dominance of Italian pair Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, who had retained the mixed doubles title the previous year by defeating Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud. This year, however, they suffered a first‑round defeat, illustrating how quickly fortunes can change in the condensed format. Meanwhile, Russian talents Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev made a statement by toppling the defending champions 1‑4, 4‑1, 11‑9 in the opening round, then advancing to the semifinals after a hard‑fought 4‑1, 4‑5, 10‑5 win over Diana Shnaider and Casper Ruud. Their next challenge will be against the Czech duo of Karolína Muchova and Jakub Mensik.
On the opposite side of the draw, Bencic and Cobolli will meet the husband‑and‑wife team of Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina, who themselves had upset Patten and Siniakova in the quarterfinals. The semifinals are scheduled for Wednesday night and will revert to traditional best‑of‑three sets to six games, providing a classic tennis showdown after the fast‑paced match‑tiebreak format used earlier in the tournament. Fans can watch the action live on Sky Sports, with streaming options available via NOW and the Sky Sports app.
Beyond the on‑court drama, the mixed doubles competition continues to serve as a platform for legends to share the spotlight with the next generation, offering fans a unique blend of experience and youthful energy. Serena Williams' brief but electrifying partnership with Carlos Alcaraz exemplified this dynamic, delivering memorable moments that will be recalled long after the final point was played. As the tournament progresses, the tennis world will be watching to see which teams can translate their chemistry into championship glory, and whether more high‑profile singles stars will be enticed to try their hand at the mixed doubles stage in future editions.