Carlos Alcaraz and Serena Williams made a much-anticipated return to competitive action, teaming up for the US Open mixed doubles tournament. The pair drew significant attention and a large crowd, with approximately 15,000 spectators filling Arthur Ashe Stadium for their matches.
Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, was competing in New York for the first time since her departure from professional tennis in 2022. Alcaraz, a seven-time major winner, was playing his first competitive match since April following a wrist injury.
The duo secured a victory in their opening match, defeating Great Britain's Lloyd Glasspool and New Zealand's Erin Routliffe with a score of 5-3, 4-1. Williams, who previously won the US Open mixed doubles title in 1998 with Max Mirnyi, shared the court with Alcaraz nearly 30 years later.
"I'm playing next to the one and only Serena Williams, so what else can I do? Just enjoy and try to do the things she told me to do," Alcaraz commented during a change of ends. The partnership showed rapid improvement in their first match, winning eight of the final nine games to secure the win.
Despite their efforts and the crowd's support, Alcaraz and Williams were eliminated in the quarter-finals. They were defeated by Italy's world number six Flavio Cobolli and his Swiss partner Belinda Bencic, who won the match 5-4 (7-4), 4-1.
The revamped mixed doubles format at the US Open has faced some criticism for prioritizing the appeal of top singles players over established doubles specialists. However, the event successfully attracted large audiences, with all four doubles specialist pairings losing to teams composed of singles players on Tuesday.