US Open: Carlos Alcaraz, Serena Williams to play mixed doubles
What's the story
In a groundbreaking announcement, tennis legends Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz have confirmed their partnership for the upcoming 2026 US Open mixed doubles tournament. The move comes after Alcaraz's four-month hiatus due to a wrist injury. The duo's participation is set to bring unprecedented star power to the event, which was once an afterthought played before mostly empty stadiums.
Grand slam legacy
Impressive Grand Slam haul for the duo
The Williams-Alcaraz pair boasts an impressive 46 Grand Slam titles in singles and doubles.
Williams, widely regarded as the greatest female player of the modern era, has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles and 14 doubles titles with her sister Venus Williams.
She also won two mixed doubles titles at Wimbledon and the US Open in 1998 when she was just 16 years old.
Meanwhile, Alcaraz has won seven Grand Slams in men's singles.
Doubles debut
Defending men's singles champion's mixed doubles experience
Alcaraz, the defending men's singles champion, has only played a few mixed doubles matches.
He lost in the first round of last year's US Open mixed doubles with Emma Raducanu against Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper.
This time, he could use Williams's experience to navigate this new challenge.
Notably, he had also played two men's doubles matches at the Paris Olympics in 2024 with Rafael Nadal before losing in the quarter-finals.
Comeback trail
Alcaraz's injury struggles and Williams's comeback
Alcaraz has been dealing with tenosynovitis, an injury that causes fluid buildup in a wrist tendon sheath. The condition forced him to miss two Grand Slams this year.
He had planned to play the Cincinnati Open earlier this month but pulled out just days before.
Meanwhile, Williams re-entered the sport's anti-doping system last fall, hinting at her comeback four years after stepping away from professional tennis.
Performance review
Will Williams enter US Open singles?
Williams made her return to competitive tennis earlier this week in Cincinnati, where she and Venus lost a match-deciding tiebreak to Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns.
USTA officials have been eagerly waiting for confirmation from Williams and Carlos Alcaraz on their fitness levels for the mixed doubles field.
Williams is also contemplating whether to accept the last remaining wild card into the singles competition.