Serena Williams is set to join forces with Carlos Alcaraz to form a formidable mixed doubles team at the upcoming U.S. Open tournament. The U.S. Tennis Association confirmed the partnership by granting them a wild card entry into the tournament, where the mixed doubles competition is scheduled to kick 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 her tennis comeback earlier this summer. Alcaraz expressed excitement about the collaboration by posting on X with a fire emoji and tagging Williams.
While Williams will not be participating in the singles event in New York, she has been actively involved in doubles matches, including partnering with her sister Venus at the Cincinnati Open. Alcaraz, on the other hand, revealed his intention to defend his U.S. Open singles title after recovering from a right wrist injury that had sidelined him since April.
Notably, Williams previously clinched a mixed doubles title at the U.S. Open in 1998 before securing any singles titles. The mixed doubles competition has evolved into a two-day, 16-team event, aimed at attracting top singles players like Williams and Alcaraz, the two-time U.S. Open men’s champion ranked No. 2.
Updates to the U.S. Open mixed doubles field were announced following player withdrawals. American players Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz will now team up due to their initial partners Jack Draper and Elena Rybakina withdrawing due to injuries. Additionally, wild cards were awarded to Emma Navarro and Tommy Paul, as well as Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik, to complete the main draw.
Diana Shnaider is also set to compete, with an opportunity to select a new partner after Daniil Medvedev pulled out. The current field features a strong lineup of pairings, including Sabalenka and Djokovic, Pegula and Fritz, and several other notable combinations. The final two spots in the competition will be determined through an eight-team qualifying tournament, with the USTA awarding wild cards to Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev, as well as Peyton Stearns and Christian Harrison, to join the qualifying field.