Serena Williams is set to join forces with Carlos Alcaraz for the mixed doubles competition at the upcoming U.S. Open tournament, as confirmed by the U.S. Tennis Association over the weekend. The duo secured a wild card entry into the event, with the mixed doubles matches scheduled to kick off on Tuesday, offering a prize of $1 million US to the victorious pair.
This will mark Williams’ return to the U.S. Open after a hiatus since 2022. The renowned 23-time Grand Slam singles champion made her tennis comeback earlier this summer. Alcaraz expressed his excitement for the partnership with Williams on social media, posting, “Let’s gooooo!” along with a fire emoji and tagging Williams.
While Williams will not be participating in the singles category at the New York event, the USTA had reserved a women’s wild card, potentially for Williams. However, the wild card was awarded to American Sofia Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open victor.
Following a knee injury during her Wimbledon singles match, Williams teamed up with her sister Venus for doubles at the Cincinnati Open. They may still decide to compete together in the doubles event at the U.S. Open. Alcaraz, on the other hand, announced his return to defend his U.S. Open singles title after recovering from a right wrist injury that had kept him sidelined since April.
Notably, Serena Williams previously clinched a mixed doubles title at the U.S. Open in 1998 before winning any of her six singles titles there. The USTA revamped the mixed doubles tournament last year into a two-day, 16-team competition aimed at attracting top singles players, such as Williams and Alcaraz, the two-time U.S. Open men’s champion who currently holds the No. 2 ranking.
In light of some players withdrawing from the competition, the USTA revealed several updates to the tournament lineup. American players Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz will team up following injuries to their original partners, while the remaining two wild cards were granted to the pairs of Emma Navarro and Tommy Paul, as well as Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik.
Moreover, Diana Shnaider will have the opportunity to find a new partner after Daniil Medvedev’s withdrawal. The current mixed doubles field features a strong lineup including top names like Sabalenka, Djokovic, Swiatek, Bencic, and more. The final two spots will be determined through an eight-team qualifying event, with wild cards given to Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev, and Peyton Stearns and Christian Harrison, adding to the competitive mix at the prestigious tournament.