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Bencic and Cobolli knock out Williams, Alcaraz

8/26/2026

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Summary

Williams Alcaraz Out

Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz were eliminated in the US Open doubles quarterfinals by Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli.
Williams, 44, made her Arthur Ashe Stadium return after retiring in 2022.
Alcaraz, 23, played his first match since a wrist injury suffered in April.
Top seeds Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka also lost, falling 1-4, 4-2, 10-2 to Patten and Siniakova.

Summary

Alcaraz Mixed-Doubles

Mixed-doubles champions earn a $1 million prize, the tournament’s highest cash reward.
Matches use four-game sets, no-ad scoring and a 10-point match tiebreak instead of a third set.
Organizers introduced the format in 2025 to attract top singles players to mixed doubles.
Carlos Alcaraz uses the mixed-doubles run for extra match play before defending his men’s singles title.
Serena Williams and Alcaraz entered via wildcard, showing the tournament’s focus on star power over ranking.

History

Historical Context

Since the Open Era began in 1968, the US Open pioneered scoring changes, adopting a sudden-death tiebreak in 1970 and granting equal $25,000 prize money to John Newcombe and Margaret Court in 1973. The USTA’s 2022 shift to a ten-point final-set tiebreak and the 2026 record $108 million player compensation—incl. $1 million for mixed-doubles champions—show how experimental formats and rising payouts continue to shape Grand Slam competition.

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Williams Alcaraz Out

Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz were eliminated in the US Open doubles quarterfinals by Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli.
Williams, 44, made her Arthur Ashe Stadium return after retiring in 2022.
Alcaraz, 23, played his first match since a wrist injury suffered in April.
Top seeds Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka also lost, falling 1-4, 4-2, 10-2 to Patten and Siniakova.

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