A Star-Studded Return to Flushing Meadows
The US Open's revamped mixed doubles format delivered exactly the spectacle organizers hoped for, with roughly 15,000 fans filling Arthur Ashe Stadium to watch Carlos Alcaraz and Serena Williams make their unlikely partnership work. For Alcaraz, it was his first competitive match since suffering a wrist injury at the Barcelona Open in April. For Williams, it was her first appearance at her home Grand Slam since she stepped away from the sport in 2022. The contrast made for compelling viewing.
The pair came through their opening match against Lloyd Glasspool and Erin Routliffe with a 5-3, 4-1 scoreline, winning eight of the final nine games after a shaky start. Alcaraz admitted the nerves got to him early, even double-faulting on the very first point. Williams, who won this same event back in 1998 alongside Max Mirnyi (five years before Alcaraz was born), looked sharp and confident throughout, leading the way for her visibly rusty partner.
Bencic and Cobolli End the Fairy Tale
The dream run ended in the quarter-finals, where fourth seeds Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli proved too sharp, winning 5-4 (7-4), 4-1. Cobolli had described his opponents beforehand as "the queen of tennis and the king of now," but sentiment gave way to competitive sharpness on the day.
The bigger question now surrounds Alcaraz's readiness for the singles draw, which begins Sunday. Former players including Andy Roddick, Greg Rusedski, and Laura Robson have all questioned whether jumping straight into best-of-five-set matches after more than four months away is too big a risk. Observers noted Alcaraz's first serves were frequently clocking below 100 miles per hour across both matches. TennisDraw users have been closely tracking whether Alcaraz will even appear in the singles bracket, making his fitness update one of the most watched storylines of the tournament.
