The headline attraction of this year’s US Open mixed‑doubles draw was the unlikely partnership of two of tennis’s biggest stars: 44‑year‑old Serena Williams, a 23‑time Grand Slam singles champion, and 22‑year‑old Carlos Alcaraz, the reigning men’s singles champion who was returning from a wrist injury. Their collaboration captured the imagination of fans and commentators alike, as they combined Williams’s legendary experience with Alcaraz’s youthful vigor.
The pair advanced to the quarter‑finals before being stopped by the fourth‑seeded team of Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli. Williams’s comeback story added an extra layer of intrigue. After a three‑year hiatus from professional competition, she stepped back onto a Grand Slam court in June, announcing her return at the age of 44.
Her first match back was in the mixed‑doubles event, where she teamed up with Alcaraz. The duo opened the tournament against the British pair of Lloyd Glasspool and Erin Routliffe.
After a tentative start, the American‑Spanish team rallied to win the opening set 5‑3, then dominated the second set 4‑1, much to the delight of the crowd gathered in Arthur Ashe Stadium. The victory marked Williams’s first professional win since 2022, and it also represented Alcaraz’s first match back on tour after his wrist injury had kept him sidelined since April. Alcaraz, who was born five years after Williams captured the mixed‑doubles title at Flushing Meadows in 1998, expressed admiration for his partner’s resilience. He noted that playing alongside a legend of his generation was both an honor and a learning experience.
For Williams, the emotional weight of returning to a sport that has defined much of her life was evident. "I never expected to be back on this court," she said after the opening victory.
"I never thought this would happen." Her words resonated with longtime fans who have followed her meteoric rise from a teenage prodigy to the sport’s most decorated female player. The quarter‑final match proved to be a tougher test.
Bencic and Cobolli, seeded fourth and known for their aggressive baseline play and solid net skills, entered the match with confidence. They had already labeled their opponents "the queen of tennis and the king of now" in pre‑match interviews, a nod to Williams’s status and Alcaraz’s current dominance. The match was closely contested, with Williams and Alcaraz taking the first set 5‑4.
However, Bencic and Cobolli surged ahead in the second set, winning 4‑1 and sealing the victory. The loss was a disappointment for the star pair, but it underscored the depth of talent present in the mixed‑doubles field.
Beyond the Williams‑Alcaraz storyline, the tournament featured several other notable moments. Top seeds Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka, both multiple Grand Slam champions, were upset in their opening mixed‑doubles match by Britain’s Henry Patten and Czech Republic’s Katerina Siniakova. After taking the first set 1‑4, Djokovic and Sabalenka appeared vulnerable, and Patten and Siniakova rallied to claim the second set and dominate the match tiebreak 10‑2. Siniakova closed the match with a decisive ace on match point, ending the run of the highly‑touted pairing.
The mixed‑doubles event itself has undergone a significant transformation. Organisers revamped the format last year, reducing the draw size and granting the competition a dedicated slot in the calendar, separate from the main singles draws.
This change was intended to attract more high‑profile singles players, and it succeeded: the event sold out and featured a roster of big names, though some doubles specialists voiced concerns that the new structure marginalised established mixed‑doubles teams. Italian duo Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, who had retained the title the previous year by defeating Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud in the final, suffered a first‑round exit this time around.
Meanwhile, rising stars Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev upset the defending champions in the opening round, winning 1‑4, 4‑1, 11‑9, and later secured a semi‑final berth with a 4‑1, 4‑5, 10‑5 victory over Diana Shnaider and Casper Ruud. Their progress set up a semi‑final clash against Czech pair Karolína Muchova and Jakub Mensik. On the other side of the draw, Bencic and Cobolli earned a semi‑final spot by defeating the husband‑and‑wife team of Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina, who had themselves upset Patten and Siniakova in the quarter‑finals.
The upcoming semi‑finals promise to deliver high‑quality tennis, with traditional best‑of‑three sets to six games rather than the fast‑paced match‑tiebreak format used earlier in the tournament. Looking ahead, the question remains whether Serena Williams will continue to compete in doubles events, perhaps reuniting with her older sister Venus in women’s doubles. Williams has already ruled out a repeat of her singles appearance at Wimbledon, but her enthusiasm for mixed doubles suggests she may still be eager to test herself in team formats. Her participation would undoubtedly draw even more attention to the sport and provide a platform for younger players to learn from one of tennis’s most iconic figures.
Fans can follow the ongoing action through various streaming services, including Sky Sports and the NOW platform, which offer live coverage of both ATP and WTA tours. The US Open continues to be broadcast live on Sky Sports from August 30, ensuring that tennis enthusiasts worldwide can keep up with the drama unfolding on the courts.