Serena Williams teams up with Carlos Alcaraz in US Open mixed doubles

What the report says

Serena Williams is set to return to the US Open in mixed doubles, pairing with Carlos Alcaraz after the U.S. Tennis Association awarded the duo a wild card. According to Al Jazeera’s report, the mixed doubles main draw begins Tuesday in New York, with the winning team set to share a $1 million prize. Williams is a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion and has not played at the US Open since 2022.

The report says Williams is not expected to enter the singles draw. The open women’s wild card that had been held back for her was instead given to Sofia Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open champion. Williams recently returned to tennis this summer after time away, and she had also played doubles with her sister Venus at the Cincinnati Open, leaving open the possibility that the sisters could still team up at Flushing Meadows.

Alcaraz, the world No. 2 and two-time US Open men’s champion, posted a celebratory message on social media after the pairing was announced. He is also returning to defend his US Open singles title after being sidelined since April with a right wrist injury.

Al Jazeera also noted that the USTA revamped the mixed doubles format last year to try to attract more leading singles players. This year’s field includes several top names and has already seen multiple changes after withdrawals, underscoring the event’s new emphasis on marquee pairings as well as traditional doubles specialists.