Serena Williams is set to join forces with Carlos Alcaraz for the mixed doubles event at the upcoming U.S. Open, forming a formidable duo as they received a wild card entry into the competition. The U.S. Tennis Association disclosed this development on Saturday, revealing that the mixed doubles main draw is scheduled to kick off on Tuesday with a prize pool of $1 million US up for grabs.
This marks Williams’ return to the U.S. Open after her last appearance in 2022, following her comeback to professional tennis earlier this summer. Alcaraz expressed his excitement for the partnership by posting on social media with an enthusiastic message and tagging Williams.
While Williams will not be participating in the singles category, the USTA had reserved a women’s wild card spot, which was ultimately awarded to Sofia Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion. Williams recently suffered a knee injury during her singles match at Wimbledon but competed in doubles alongside her sister Venus at the Cincinnati Open. The possibility remains for the Williams sisters to team up again at the U.S. Open.
On the other hand, Alcaraz, the two-time U.S. Open men’s champion ranked No. 2, confirmed his return to defend his singles title after recovering from a right wrist injury that had sidelined him since April.
Notably, Serena Williams had clinched a mixed doubles title at the U.S. Open even before securing any of her six singles titles there, winning the championship in 1998 with Max Mirnyi. The mixed doubles tournament format has evolved, now being a two-day, 16-team event aimed at attracting top singles players like Williams and Alcaraz.
Several adjustments were made to the mixed doubles field due to player withdrawals. Americans Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz formed a new partnership, while additional wild cards were granted to Emma Navarro and Tommy Paul, as well as Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik. Diana Shnaider will have the chance to find a new partner following Daniil Medvedev’s withdrawal.
The U.S. Open mixed doubles lineup features top pairs such as Sabalenka and Djokovic, Pegula and Fritz, Swiatek and Ruud, and several other dynamic duos, including Williams and Alcaraz. The remaining slots will be determined through a qualifying tournament, with wild card entries allocated to specific teams to compete for those spots.