Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz will form a dynamic mixed doubles team as they join forces for the upcoming U.S. Open. The U.S. Tennis Association confirmed the partnership by granting them a wild card entry into the tournament. The mixed doubles competition, which commences on Tuesday, offers a prize of $1 million US to the victorious pair.
This marks Serena Williams’ return to the U.S. Open after her last appearance in 2022. The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion made a comeback to professional tennis earlier this summer. Alcaraz expressed his excitement for the collaboration by posting a message on X, tagging Williams and adding a fire emoji.
While Williams will not participate in the singles event at the U.S. Open, she had the option of a women’s wild card, which was ultimately awarded to Sofia Kenin, the 2020 Australian Open winner. Williams recently faced a knee injury during her singles match at Wimbledon but teamed up with her sister Venus for doubles at the Cincinnati Open. They may choose to compete together in the doubles event at the U.S. Open.
In a separate announcement, Alcaraz confirmed his participation in the singles competition at the U.S. Open after recovering from a right wrist injury that had sidelined him since April. Notably, Serena Williams clinched a mixed doubles title at the U.S. Open in 1998, even before securing any of her six singles titles at the tournament.
The USTA revamped the mixed doubles tournament last year, aiming to attract top singles players to the two-day, 16-team event. The inclusion of powerhouse players like Williams and Alcaraz adds to the excitement. The USTA also made several updates to the lineup following some player withdrawals.
Notably, Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz will team up after their initial partners withdrew due to injuries. Additionally, the teams of Emma Navarro and Tommy Paul, as well as Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik, received the remaining wild card entries into the main draw. Diana Shnaider will have the opportunity to find a new partner after Daniil Medvedev’s withdrawal.
The current field features a strong lineup of pairings, including Sabalenka and Djokovic, Pegula and Fritz, Swiatek and Ruud, and many others. Two spots in the tournament will be decided through an eight-team qualifying tournament, with wild cards given to specific teams to compete for those spots.
In a bid to foster an engaging mixed doubles competition, the USTA has ensured a diverse and competitive field for the upcoming U.S. Open.