Serena Williams, Carlos Alcaraz fall in US Open mixed doubles quarterfinal

What the report says

Serena Williams’ return to Arthur Ashe Stadium ended in the US Open mixed doubles quarterfinals on Tuesday, when she and Carlos Alcaraz lost 5-4(4), 4-1 to Flavio Cobolli and Belinda Bencic in New York. The result followed a strong opening-round win for Williams and Alcaraz earlier in the day, but the pair could not maintain that level against the Swiss-Italian team.

Al Jazeera, citing Reuters and The Associated Press, reported that the 44-year-old Williams was playing her first US Open match since her 2022 retirement, while Alcaraz was making his return after an injury layoff. The article said their early chemistry and crowd appeal helped fuel interest in the revamped mixed doubles event, which has been moved into a standalone slot ahead of the singles draw to attract more attention to star players.

Cobolli and Bencic advanced to a semifinal against Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils, a married pair who also progressed through the draw. Other notable results included the first-round upset of top seeds Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka by Henry Patten and Katerina Siniakova. The mixed doubles bracket is part of a broader US Open schedule that also featured Roger Federer’s ceremonial return to Arthur Ashe Stadium for an exhibition match.