Serena Williams, Carlos Alcaraz teaming up in 2026 US Open mixed doubles tournament
Two of the biggest stars in tennis will team up during next week’s US Open.
Carlos Alcaraz, a two-time US Open men’s singles winner, and Serena Williams, a five-time women’s champion in the event, will take part in the mixed doubles tournament after receiving a wild-card.
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The announcement of the superstar pairing comes days after Alcaraz announced he was returning to play after missing four months due to a wrist injury. Williams returned to playing in June after four years away from the game.
Alcaraz and Williams have won a combined 46 Grand Slam titles in singles and doubles.
Williams has previously had success playing mixed doubles, though it has been a while. She and partner Max Mirnyi won the event at Wimbledon and the US Open in 1998 when she was 16 years old, earning the first two Grand Slam titles of her illustrious career. She also reached the 1998 final at Roland Garros with Luis Lobo and the 1999 Australian Open final with Mirnyi.
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Alcaraz took part in last year’s US Open mixed doubles tournament, pairing with Emma Raducanu. They ended up losing in straight sets to Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper in the first round.
Alcaraz and Williams won’t be the only big-name duo in the draw. Novak Djokovic and women’s world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka have entered the competition, as have returning finalists Iga Świątek and Casper Ruud.
The mixed doubles competition begins with qualifying play on Monday. The full draw will begin on Aug. 30 with the winning team taking home $1 million.