Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz Team Up for US Open Mixed Doubles

The United States Tennis Association announced that 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Serena Williams and world number two Carlos Alcaraz have received a main draw wild card to play together in the upcoming US Open mixed doubles competition. The partnership brings together two of the sport’s highest-profile players for the event, which starts its main draw on Tuesday.

The tournament marks Williams’s return to New York courts for the first time since 2022. Having resumed playing competitively earlier this summer, Williams suffered a first-round defeat at Wimbledon, where she sustained a knee injury. She subsequently played women’s doubles alongside her sister Venus Williams at the Cincinnati Open. While Williams is not competing in the singles draw—with the tournament’s final wild card allocated to 2020 Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin—she remains eligible to compete in women’s doubles.

Alcaraz, a two-time US Open men’s singles champion, is set to defend his singles title after being sidelined by a right wrist injury since April. Following the announcement, Alcaraz shared his excitement on social media, posting “Let’s gooooo!” while tagging Williams. Williams previously claimed the US Open mixed doubles title in 1998 alongside Max Mirnyi prior to winning any of her six singles crowns at the tournament.

The mixed doubles format was modified by tennis organizers last year into a condensed two-day, 16-team tournament offering a shared $1 million prize to the champions. The initiative was designed to entice top singles competitors to participate. Direct entry into the event relies primarily on players’ combined singles rankings.

Alongside Williams and Alcaraz, several other prominent singles figures are slated to feature in the field, including Aryna Sabalenka paired with Novak Djokovic, and Iga Swiatek playing alongside Casper Ruud. Organizers also awarded main draw wild cards to Emma Navarro and Tommy Paul, as well as Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik.

Injuries have led to last-minute reshuffling in the line-up. Americans Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz joined forces after their original partners, Elena Rybakina and Jack Draper, withdrew due to health issues. Additionally, Diana Shnaider is seeking a new partner following the withdrawal of Daniil Medvedev. Defending two-time champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori are also returning to defend their title. The final two berths in the main draw will be filled via an eight-team qualifying tournament scheduled for Monday.

Background

The US Tennis Association revamped its mixed doubles structure to elevate the profile of the discipline by condensing the event schedule and increasing financial rewards. Mixed doubles traditionally featured doubles specialists and took place across the full duration of the fortnight. By reshaping the format into a two-day event featuring top-tier singles talent, organizers aimed to boost fan engagement and broadcast viewership during the grand slam tournament.