Serena Williams is set to partner with Carlos Alcaraz, forming a formidable mixed doubles team as she makes her comeback at the U.S. Open. The U.S. Tennis Association revealed on Saturday that Williams and Alcaraz had received a wild card entry into the tournament’s mixed doubles main draw, which commences on Tuesday with a prize of $1 million US for the victorious pair.
This marks Williams’ first appearance at the U.S. Open since 2022, following her return to the tennis scene earlier this summer. Alcaraz expressed his excitement by posting, “Let’s gooooo!” on X, accompanied by a fire emoji and tagging Williams.
While Williams won’t be participating in the singles event at the New York tournament, American Sofia Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion, was granted the women’s wild card spot by the USTA. Williams recently played singles at Wimbledon but suffered a knee injury during her first-round match. She later teamed up with her sister Venus for doubles at the Cincinnati Open and might opt to play together at the U.S. Open.
Alcaraz, the two-time U.S. Open men’s champion ranked No. 2, announced his return to defend his U.S. Open singles title after recovering from a right wrist injury that kept him sidelined since April.
The USTA revamped the mixed doubles tournament last year into a two-day, 16-team event to attract top singles players. Williams had previously clinched a mixed doubles title at the U.S. Open in 1998 with Max Mirnyi. Notable updates to the U.S. Open field include the pairing of Americans Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz, while Diana Shnaider will have the opportunity to find a new mixed doubles partner after Daniil Medvedev’s withdrawal.
Several other player combinations have been confirmed for the U.S. Open mixed doubles event, featuring a mix of established and up-and-coming tennis talents. The field will be completed with two spots determined through an eight-team qualifying tournament on Monday, with wild cards awarded to select teams to ensure a competitive lineup.
