Serena Williams returned to Arthur Ashe Stadium for a mixed doubles appearance alongside Carlos Alcaraz, reaching the quarter-finals before being eliminated.
Key facts
- •Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz combined for 30 grand slam singles titles, setting a record for a mixed-doubles team at a major.
- •Williams had previously declined a singles wildcard, which was subsequently awarded to Sofia Kenin.
- •The mixed doubles final is the only match in the tournament that utilizes six-game sets.
- •The tournament's mixed doubles field was reduced to 16 teams as part of a recent overhaul.
- •The winning team of the mixed doubles competition will receive a $1 million prize.
Serena Williams returned to the US Open on Tuesday, 1,453 days after her last match at the venue, to compete in the tournament's revamped mixed doubles competition. Partnering with Carlos Alcaraz, the duo played two matches in a single afternoon before being defeated in the quarter-finals by Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli. The appearance drew more than 10,000 spectators to Arthur Ashe Stadium during the event's qualifying week.
By the numbers
Tournament Performance and Format
Williams and Alcaraz began their run with a 5-3, 4-1 victory over Lloyd Glasspool and Erin Routliffe. Their second match ended in a 5-4 (4), 4-1 loss to Bencic and Cobolli after 55 minutes of play. The mixed doubles event features a revamped format designed to attract singles stars, utilizing four-game sets, no-ad scoring, and a 10-point decider in early rounds. The tournament overhaul, implemented last year, reduced the field to 16 teams and increased the top prize to $1 million. While the format encourages participation from singles players, it also leads to abrupt exits for high-profile pairings, as seen when top seeds Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka were eliminated in their opening match.
Other Notable Pairings
Following their victory over Siniakova and Patten, the married couple Elina Svitolina and Gaël Monfils advanced in the competition. Svitolina and Monfils secured their spot in the later stages after a 5-4 (6), 4-5 (3), 10-8 win. Monfils, who is playing in his final grand slam before retirement, remains in contention for the title as the event heads toward Wednesday night's final.
Advertisement
This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Guardian Tennis.
