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 falling to the fourth‑seeded duo of Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli. Williams, a 23‑time Grand Slam singles champion who returned to the sport in June at age 44, recorded her first professional victory since 2022 when she and Alcaraz defeated the British pair of Lloyd Glasspool and Erin Routliffe in the opening round. For Alcaraz, a seven‑time major winner, 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.
The 22‑year‑old was born just five years after Williams captured the 1998 mixed‑doubles title at Flushing Meadows, adding a symbolic generational link to their collaboration. After a tentative start, the dynamic duo rallied to claim a 5‑3, 4‑1 opening set victory over Routliffe and Glasspool, eliciting enthusiastic cheers from the crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium. "I never expected to be back on this court," Williams reflected afterward. "I never thought this would happen." Their chemistry on the court was evident, blending Williams' experience and power with Alcaraz's youthful agility and tactical acumen.
The quarter‑final match arrived shortly after their first‑round win, and fatigue seemed to set in. Bencic and Cobolli, who had praised their opponents before the match as "the queen of tennis and the king of now," proved too strong, defeating the pair 5‑4, 4‑1.
The loss ended what had been a captivating storyline for fans hoping to see two of tennis' biggest stars share the net. Williams now faces a decision about her future in doubles play.
She has already ruled out another singles comeback at Wimbledon, but speculation abounds about whether she might team up with her older sister Venus in women’s doubles, potentially delivering another memorable chapter for the Williams family. Meanwhile, other top seeds experienced early exits.
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 star Katerina Siniakova, losing 1‑4, 4‑2, 10‑2. Djokovic took the first set, but Patten and Siniakova turned the tide, dominating the second set and then the match tiebreak.
Siniakova sealed the upset with an ace on match point, underscoring the unpredictable nature of the mixed‑doubles format. The mixed‑doubles competition this year returned to its traditional slot in the week preceding the singles main draw, following a format overhaul last season designed to attract more high‑profile singles players. Organisers reduced the field size and gave the event a standalone place on the calendar, a move that paid off commercially. The revamped format drew sell‑out crowds and attracted many of the sport’s biggest names, despite criticism from some doubles specialists who argued that the changes marginalized established pairings.
Italian veterans Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, who had defended their title the previous year by beating Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud in the final, suffered a first‑round loss this time around. In another surprise, 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.
Looking ahead, Andreeva and Rublev will meet Czech pair Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik in one of Wednesday’s semi‑finals, while Bencic and Cobolli are set to face 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 will be played on Wednesday night and will revert to the traditional best‑of‑three sets format, with each set played to six games. The US Open mixed‑doubles tournament continues to provide drama and excitement, showcasing the versatility of top players who can transition between singles and doubles disciplines.
Fans can follow live action on Sky Sports, stream via the NOW platform, or catch highlights and analysis through the Sky Sports app. As the tournament progresses, the tennis world will watch to see whether veteran stars like Serena Williams can add another chapter to their illustrious careers, and how rising talents such as Carlos Alcaraz will continue to shape the future of the sport.