The headline partnership of Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz made a splash at the US Open mixed‑doubles event, advancing to the quarter‑finals before being upset by the fourth‑seeded duo of Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli. Williams, who boasts 23 Grand Slam singles titles, made her return to competitive tennis in June at 44 years old and recorded her first professional victory since 2022 when she and Alcaraz defeated the British pair Lloyd Glasspool and Erin Routliffe in the opening round.
For the 22‑year‑old Alcaraz, a seven‑time major champion, the match also marked his first appearance back on tour after a wrist injury that had kept the reigning men’s singles champion sidelined since April. Notably, Alcaraz was born five years after Williams captured the mixed‑doubles crown at Flushing Meadows in 1998, adding an extra layer of generational intrigue to their collaboration.
The pair started slowly, dropping the first game, but quickly found their rhythm and secured a 5‑3, 4‑1 opening‑set victory over Glasspool and Routliffe, much to the delight of the crowd inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. "I never expected to be back on this court," Williams remarked afterward, her voice tinged with disbelief. "I never thought this would happen." Their chemistry on court was evident, with Williams’ experience complementing Alcaraz’s youthful energy, and fans were eager to see how far the unlikely team could go. In the quarter‑finals, however, the momentum shifted.
Bencic and Cobolli, who had praised their opponents before the match as "the queen of tennis and the king of now," proved too strong, winning 5‑4, 4‑1. The loss left Williams and Alcaraj exhausted, having expended a great deal of energy in the earlier rounds.
The result raises the question of whether Williams will pursue another mixed‑doubles appearance, perhaps teaming up with her older sister Venus, now that she has ruled out a repeat singles run at Wimbledon. The mixed‑doubles competition this year has been shaped by a format overhaul introduced by the tournament organizers last season.
By shrinking the draw and giving the event its own dedicated slot before the singles main draw, the US Open hoped to draw more high‑profile singles players into the doubles arena. The change paid off commercially, filling seats and attracting big names, though some traditional doubles specialists voiced concerns that the new structure marginalised established pairings. Meanwhile, top‑seeded singles stars Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka suffered an early exit in the mixed‑doubles draw, falling 1‑4, 4‑2, 10‑2 to Britain’s Henry Patten and Czech star Katerina Siniakova.
Djokovic, a 24‑time Grand Slam singles champion, and Sabalenka, a four‑time major winner, started strong by taking the first set, but Patten and Siniakova rallied to claim the second and then dominated the match tiebreak. Siniakova sealed the upset with an ace on match point, ending the hopes of the high‑profile duo. Patten reflected on the volatility of the format: "It wasn't looking very good for a while; in this format we play one bad game and all of a sudden the first set's gone. We knew the same could happen in the second, and we played an amazing tiebreak.
Kat acing Novak on match point was great." Their victory highlighted how the shortened scoring system can produce rapid swings in momentum, making every point crucial. The revamped mixed‑doubles event has also produced surprising storylines beyond the Williams‑Alcaraz narrative.
Italian pair Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, who defended their title last year by beating Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud, suffered a first‑round defeat this time around. In another upset, Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev toppled the defending champions 1‑4, 4‑1, 11‑9 in the opening round and later secured a semi‑final berth with a 4‑1, 4‑5, 10‑5 win over Diana Shnaider and Casper Ruud.
Their next challenge will be against Czech duo Karolína Muchova and Jakub Mensik in a Wednesday semi‑final. On the opposite side of the draw, Bencic and Cobolli will meet the husband‑and‑wife team of Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina, who advanced after edging Patten and Siniakova in the quarter‑finals. The two semi‑finals are scheduled for Wednesday night and will revert to the traditional best‑of‑three sets format, with each set played to six games, offering a more familiar structure for players and fans alike.
Overall, the mixed‑doubles tournament has provided a blend of nostalgia, with legends like Williams returning to the court, and fresh excitement, as rising stars such as Alcaraz and Rublev make their mark. The format changes have sparked debate but undeniably succeeded in drawing attention and filling stadiums, demonstrating the appeal of mixed‑gender competition in a sport traditionally divided by gender.
As the event moves toward its climax, viewers can look forward to high‑energy rallies, strategic net play, and the unique chemistry that only mixed doubles can produce. The final matches will be streamed live on Sky Sports and available through the NOW platform, ensuring fans worldwide can follow the drama as it unfolds.