The headline attraction of the US Open mixed‑doubles draw this year was the unexpected partnership of two of tennis' biggest names: 44‑year‑old Serena Williams, a 23‑time Grand Slam singles champion, and 22‑year‑old Carlos Alcaraz, the reigning men’s singles champion. Their collaboration sparked excitement across Arthur Ashe Stadium, and the duo lived up to the hype by advancing to the quarter‑finals before falling to the fourth‑seeded team of Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli. Williams made her return to professional tennis in June after a two‑year hiatus, stepping back onto the court for the first time since 2022. At 44, she proved that age is just a number, capturing her first professional win in over a year when she and Alcaraz defeated the British pair of Lloyd Glasspool and Erin Routliffe in the opening round.
The match began slowly for the American‑Spanish pair, but they rallied to secure a 5‑3, 4‑1 victory, much to the delight of the crowd that filled the stadium with cheers and applause. Alcaraz, meanwhile, was also marking a personal comeback. The Spaniard had been sidelined by a wrist injury that kept him out of competition since April, and the mixed‑doubles match represented his first appearance on tour after recovering. Born in 2003, Alcaraz entered the professional scene only five years after Williams captured the mixed‑doubles title at Flushing Meadows in 1998, creating a symbolic passing of the torch between generations.
"I never expected to be back on this court," Williams said after the win, her voice tinged with emotion. "I never thought this would happen." Her words reflected the magnitude of her return and the joy she felt sharing the court with a rising star who is already being called the "king of now" by commentators. The quarter‑final clash against Bencic and Cobolli proved to be a tougher test. The Swiss‑Italian pair entered the match with confidence, having been seeded fourth and already showing strong chemistry throughout the tournament.
Despite Williams and Alcaraz's best efforts, they were unable to sustain the momentum from their first‑round triumph. Bencic and Cobolli took the match in straight sets, 5‑4, 4‑1, capitalising on a few unforced errors and the inevitable fatigue that comes after a packed schedule. Following the defeat, speculation quickly turned to Williams' future in doubles.
While she has already ruled out a repeat of her singles run at Wimbledon, fans wonder whether she might team up with her older sister Venus in the women's doubles draw. The Williams sisters have a storied history together, and a reunion on court would undoubtedly draw massive attention. The mixed‑doubles event itself has undergone significant changes this year.
Organisers revamped the format last season, reducing the field size and giving the competition a standalone slot in the calendar, positioned a week before the singles main draw begins. This strategic shift was designed to attract top singles players, offering them a chance to compete in a shorter, high‑stakes format without overtaxing their schedules.
The gamble paid off: the event sold out, and marquee names like Williams, Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic, and Aryna Sabalenka entered the draw, generating unprecedented media coverage. However, the new structure has not been without critics.
Some doubles specialists argue that the condensed format marginalises established pairings, making it harder for seasoned teams to find rhythm. Despite these concerns, the commercial success of the revamped mixed doubles was evident, with packed stands and a surge in viewership across streaming platforms.
In other notable results, top seeds Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka were upset in their opening mixed‑doubles match by Britain's Henry Patten and Katerina Siniakova. The pair lost the first set 1‑4 but fought back to claim the second 4‑2 and then dominated the match tiebreak 10‑2, ending the tournament hopes of the star‑studded duo. Patten highlighted the volatility of the format, noting, "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." The defending champions, the Italian duo of Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, who had retained the title the previous year by defeating Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud, suffered an early exit this time around. Meanwhile, Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev made a statement by defeating 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. Looking ahead, the semi‑finals promise thrilling match‑ups.
Bencic and Cobolli will face the husband‑and‑wife team of Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina, who themselves edged past Patten and Siniakova in the quarter‑finals. On the other side of the draw, Czech pair Karolína Muchova and Jakub Mensik will meet Andreeva and Rublev.
The finals, scheduled for Wednesday night, will revert to the traditional best‑of‑three sets format, allowing players to showcase endurance and strategy over a full match rather than a rapid tiebreak. For fans wanting to follow the action, the tournament is being streamed live on Sky Sports and the NOW platform, with additional coverage available through the Sky Sports app. The US Open continues to deliver high‑octane tennis across all disciplines, and the mixed‑doubles event, with its blend of seasoned legends and emerging talent, remains a highlight of the fortnight of competition.