Full Breakdown
Serena Williams & Carlos Alcaraz Team Up for the 2026 US Open Mixed Doubles
8/26/2026, 12:30:48 AM
Core Event: Wild-Card Pairing and First Match
The United States Tennis Association (USTA) awarded a wild-card to 23-time Grand Slam singles champion Serena Williams and world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz for the 2026 US Open mixed-doubles main draw. Their opening match is scheduled for Tuesday, August 25, at Arthur Ashe Stadium against qualifiers Erin Routliffe (New Zealand) and Lloyd Glasspool (Great Britain). The mixed-doubles competition runs in the latter half of August, concluding a few days before the singles draws begin.
Background & Context: Revamped Mixed Doubles and Player Come-backs
In 2025 the USTA overhauled the mixed-doubles event, moving it to the week before the singles draws, expanding the prize pool to $1 million for the champions, and adopting a shortened scoring format (sets to four games, no-ad points, and a 10-point match tiebreak). The change attracted top singles players, exemplified by the Williams–Alcaraz partnership.
Williams returned to professional tennis in June 2026 after a four-year hiatus, playing doubles in London and Berlin and a singles match at Wimbledon that ended with a first-round loss and a knee injury. Alcaraj has been sidelined since April 2026 with a right-wrist injury; the mixed-doubles entry marks his first tournament appearance since the Barcelona Open.
Timeline
- Late August 2026 – USTA announces the Williams–Alcaraz wild-card.
- Late August 2026 – Mixed-doubles qualifying tournament (eight teams).
- Late August 2026 – First-round matches; Williams–Alcaraz face Routliffe/Glasspool.
Data & Statistics
- Serena Williams: 23 Grand Slam singles titles; six US Open singles crowns; 1998 US Open mixed-doubles champion.
- Carlos Alcaraz: Defending US Open men’s singles champion; two US Open singles titles; world No. 2.
- Prize Money: Winners share $1 million (USTA).
- Field Size: 16 teams (main draw) plus an eight-team qualifying event.
- Scoring: Sets to four games, no-ad, 10-point match tiebreak before the final set.
Official Statements & Responses
The USTA confirmed the pair received a wild-card and that the final women’s singles wild-card went to Sofia Kenin, leaving Williams to focus on doubles. Alcaraz posted on X, “Let’s gooooo!” with a fire emoji while tagging Williams. Williams told reporters she is “just having fun” and feels no pressure to win, emphasizing the chance to play in front of fans again.
What’s Next
A win in the opening match would advance Williams and Alcaraz to the next round, where they could face the winners of the Belinda Bencic/Flavio Cobolli versus Taylor Townsend/Alexander Zverev pairing. A semifinal appearance would set up a potential clash with top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka & Novak Djokovic, also competing in the mixed-doubles field.
The partnership gives Williams a high-profile return to Flushing Meadows without entering the singles draw and provides Alcaraz valuable match play ahead of his men’s singles title defense.
