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Serena Williams returns to US Open after four years, joins Carlos Alcaraz for mixed doubles
Serena Williams will return to the US Open for the first time since 2022, partnering Carlos Alcaraz in mixed doubles after receiving a wildcard.
Serena Williams is set for another high-profile return to the US Open after being handed a mixed doubles wildcard alongside defending men's singles champion Carlos Alcaraz, creating one of the most eye-catching partnerships at this year's tournament. Tournament organisers confirmed on Saturday that Williams and Alcaraz will compete together at Flushing Meadows, marking the 44-year-old American great's first competitive appearance at the US Open since 2022.
Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, returned to competitive tennis earlier this year after nearly four years away from the professional circuit. Her latest appearance came alongside elder sister Venus Williams in the women's doubles at the Cincinnati Open, where the pair were beaten in the opening round by Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns. The Williams sisters had not played doubles together since the 2022 US Open before their Cincinnati comeback.
Serena Williams returns to familiar US Open stage
Flushing Meadows holds a special place in Serena's glittering career. She won six US Open singles titles and also lifted the mixed doubles trophy in New York in 1998 alongside Max Mirnyi. Williams and Mirnyi also won the Wimbledon mixed doubles title that year, while she reached mixed doubles finals at Roland Garros in 1998 and the Australian Open in 1999. She later partnered with Andy Murray at Wimbledon in 2019, with the pair reaching the third round.
For Alcaraz, the partnership adds another layer to his own US Open comeback. The Spaniard, who won his first Grand Slam title in New York in 2022, has been sidelined for four months with a wrist injury and confirmed this week that he will return to defend his men's singles crown.
It will be only Alcaraz's second appearance in mixed doubles at a Grand Slam. He teamed up with Emma Raducanu at last year's US Open, but the pair were eliminated in the first round by Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper.
Williams and Alcaraz will enter a star-studded field featuring several blockbuster combinations. Aryna Sabalenka will partner with Novak Djokovic, while Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud return after reaching last year's final. Defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori are also in the draw. Mixed doubles qualifying begins on Monday, August 24, with the main draw starting a day later. The semifinals and final will be played at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday, August 26.
