Serena Williams is set to join forces with Carlos Alcaraz, forming a formidable mixed doubles team as she makes her comeback at the U.S. Open.
The U.S. Tennis Association revealed on Saturday that Williams and Alcaraz received a wild card entry into the tournament. The mixed doubles competition kicks off this Tuesday, with a prize of $1 million up for grabs for the victorious pair.
This marks Williams’ first appearance at the U.S. Open since 2022, following her return to tennis earlier this summer.
Expressing his excitement, Alcaraz took to social media with a message of “Let’s gooooo!” alongside a fire emoji, tagging Williams in the post.
While Williams won’t be competing in singles at the New York event, the USTA had reserved a wild card spot for her. However, the organization announced that the wild card had been awarded to Sofia Kenin instead, the 2020 Australian Open champion.
After sustaining a knee injury during her first-round singles match at Wimbledon, Williams teamed up with her sister Venus for doubles at the Cincinnati Open. They still have the option to pair up for the U.S. Open.
Alcaraz recently confirmed his return to defend his U.S. Open singles title after recovering from a right wrist injury that had sidelined him since April.
Notably, Williams secured a mixed doubles title at the U.S. Open in 1998, even before clinching any of her six singles titles at the tournament. The USTA revamped the mixed doubles tournament last year into a two-day, 16-team format with the aim of attracting top singles players.
The USTA also made several field updates due to player withdrawals. Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz will now team up, while Emma Navarro and Tommy Paul, along with Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik, received wild card entries into the main draw.
Furthermore, Diana Shnaider remains in the field and will have the opportunity to find a new partner following Daniil Medvedev’s withdrawal.
The U.S. Open mixed doubles field features top players such as Sabalenka, Djokovic, Swiatek, and others, with remaining spots to be determined through a qualifying tournament. Wild cards were granted to specific teams to join the qualifying event, which includes a mix of traditional doubles specialists and players based on their combined singles rankings.