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Serena Williams is set to make her return to the US Open in a blockbuster mixed doubles partnership with Carlos Alcaraz. The United States Tennis Association (USTA) announced on Saturday that Williams and Alcaraz have received a wild card into the US Open mixed doubles main draw, with the event set to begin on Tuesday.The partnership brings together two generations of Grand Slam champions and is expected to be one of the biggest attractions of this year’s tournament.
Serena returns to Flushing Meadows
The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion will be back at the US Open for the first time since 2022. Williams returned to competitive tennis this summer after a break from the sport. She played singles at Wimbledon and later teamed up with her older sister Venus Williams in doubles at the Cincinnati Open.It remains unclear whether Serena will also compete in the women’s singles draw. The USTA still has one women’s singles wild card available, although Williams has not confirmed whether she intends to use it.
Alcaraz returns after injury
Alcaraz, meanwhile, is set to return to action after being sidelined since April with a right wrist injury. The Spaniard recently confirmed that he will defend his US Open singles title, making his mixed doubles partnership with Williams an additional attraction at Flushing Meadows.The 2026 mixed doubles event will feature a revamped format designed to bring some of tennis’ biggest stars into the competition. Matches will be played in a best-of-three format with sets decided at four games, no-ad scoring and a 10-point match tiebreak if required.The winning team will also share a $1 million prize.
Star-studded mixed doubles field
Williams and Alcaraz are part of an impressive field featuring several high-profile combinations. Former world No. 1s Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic will form another headline pairing, while Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud are also set to compete.American stars Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz will team up, while reigning champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori will return to defend their title.For Williams, the US Open holds a special place in her career. She has won the tournament multiple times and previously captured the US Open mixed doubles title in 1998 alongside Max Mirnyi.
