Serena Williams will compete alongside Carlos Alcaraz in the mixed doubles draw at the US Open this coming week, marking another significant step in her return to professional tennis.
The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion made her comeback to the sport in June following a four-year absence, during which she had "evolved away" from competitive play. Since her return, she has participated in three doubles matches and made her singles comeback at Wimbledon, where she lost in three sets to Maya Joint.
Williams and Alcaraz have been awarded a wildcard entry into the main draw of the mixed doubles competition. The pairing brings together two generations of tennis excellence, with Williams' extensive Grand Slam pedigree complementing Alcaraz's rising prominence in the sport.
Recent doubles activity
Williams' most recent match came at the Cincinnati Open on Monday, where she and her elder sister Venus competed in doubles. The pair, who have accumulated a combined 44 singles and doubles Grand Slam titles throughout their careers, fell in that encounter following an injury Williams sustained at Wimbledon. The Williams sisters reunited in doubles for the first time since 2022 at Cincinnati, losing a tight three-setter to Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns.
The Cincinnati appearance represented a significant milestone for the siblings, as Serena and Venus Williams had received a Cincinnati Open doubles wildcard, setting up their first doubles match together since the 2022 US Open. This reunion preceded their entry into the US Open mixed doubles draw.
Williams' comeback trajectory
Since returning to professional tennis, Williams has gradually expanded her competitive schedule. She partnered with Karolina Muchova at the Berlin Open as part of her comeback, following an earlier successful start with Victoria Mboko, who subsequently became sidelined due to injury. Her participation in the US Open mixed doubles represents her continued effort to rebuild match fitness and competitive rhythm across multiple formats.
The US Open mixed doubles entry demonstrates Williams' commitment to testing herself against elite competition as she navigates her return to the professional circuit after nearly four years away from the sport.
