Serena Williams' comeback trail is about to cross with Carlos Alcaraz's return from injury, in one of the most eye-catching pairings tennis has produced in years. The United States Tennis Association confirmed on Saturday that Williams and Alcaraz have been awarded a wildcard into the US Open mixed doubles main draw, Ynet reported.
It will be Williams' first appearance at Flushing Meadows since 2022. The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion ended a four-year absence from the tour this June, playing singles at Wimbledon and doubles alongside her sister Venus at the Cincinnati Open before now adding a US Open wildcard to her comeback schedule.
Alcaraz, meanwhile, is coming back from his own lengthy layoff. The Spaniard has been sidelined since April with a right wrist injury and only confirmed this week that he will defend his US Open men's singles title, having won the tournament in each of the past two years.
Between them, the pair carry serious pedigree into the doubles draw: Williams' 23 major singles titles include five triumphs in New York, while Alcaraz has collected seven Grand Slam crowns of his own, most recently completing the career Grand Slam at this year's Australian Open.
The mixed doubles event has been reshaped this year specifically to lure singles stars into the format, with shortened four-game sets, no-advantage scoring and a 10-point tiebreak replacing a deciding third set. The changes have already drawn a stacked field, including Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic, 2025 finalists Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud, and defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori.
Alcaraz greeted the news of the partnership on social media with a simple message of excitement directed at Williams, after weeks of speculation fuelled by the pair's public exchanges online.
The mixed doubles main draw is set to open this week, with the champions sharing a $1 million prize. For Williams, it offers a low-pressure route back onto Arthur Ashe Stadium; for Alcaraz, a chance to sharpen his timing in doubles before turning his full attention to defending his singles crown.
