Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz are set to form a formidable mixed doubles team as they partner up for the upcoming U.S. Open tournament. The U.S. Tennis Association revealed that Williams and Alcaraz received a wild card entry for the mixed doubles main draw, which kicks off on Tuesday with a prize of $1 million up for grabs.
This marks Williams’ return to the U.S. Open after her last appearance in 2022. The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion made a comeback to tennis this summer and is excited to pair up with Alcaraz, as seen in his enthusiastic post on X, where he tagged Williams with a fire emoji.
While Williams will not compete in singles at the event, the USTA had reserved a women’s wild card, which was ultimately awarded to Sofia Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open winner. Williams recently faced a knee injury at Wimbledon but made a comeback in doubles with her sister Venus at the Cincinnati Open. The possibility of the Williams sisters teaming up for the U.S. Open remains open.
Alcaraz, a two-time U.S. Open men’s champion ranked No. 2, is also making his return to defend his singles title after being sidelined with a wrist injury since April. Williams has a history of success in mixed doubles at the U.S. Open, having clinched the title in 1998 with Max Mirnyi.
The mixed doubles tournament has undergone changes, with a new format introduced last year to attract top singles players. The USTA also announced additional updates to the field due to player withdrawals, including new pairings like Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz, Emma Navarro and Tommy Paul, and Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik receiving wild cards.
The current lineup features a mix of top players, including Sabalenka, Djokovic, Swiatek, Ruud, and others, with the final two slots to be filled through a qualifying tournament. Notably, Alcaraz and Williams are poised to be a standout duo in the competition.