Serena Williams: Tennis icon to team up with Carlos Alcaraz for US Open mixed doubles tournament
Serena Williams to team up with Carlos Alcaraz for US Open mixed doubles tournament next week but American great will not be playing singles; watch the US Open from August 30 live on Sky Sports Tennis and Sky Sports+, streaming service NOW and the Sky Sports app
Saturday 22 August 2026 17:04, UK
The dream team of Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz have signed up to the US Open mixed doubles championship, but the American great won't be playing in the women's singles.
Williams will make a competitive return to the US Open alongside defending men's champion Alcaraz after the pair were handed a wild card entry.
It will be Williams' first competitive match at Flushing Meadows since 2022 when she lost to Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round.
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The American 23-time Grand Slam singles champion and six-time US Open winner - who returned to tennis this summer - won the mixed doubles title in 1998 with Max Mirnyi.
Williams, who played singles at Wimbledon and doubles with older sister Venus at the Cincinnati Open, won't be playing singles in New York, after USTA handed their final women's wild card to Sofia Kenin.
Jamie Murray, speaking on Sky Sports Tennis, said: "Serena obviously hasn't played a singles match since Wimbledon but I don't know if she feels physically ready to get back on the singles court and compete or maybe she doesn't feel she can do that altogether.
"She's going to play some doubles with her sister Venus and she's got a fun event in the mixed doubles. I personally expected to see her across the US Open Series after Wimbledon - to play more matches with a view to competing in New York but obviously that's not the case."
Alcaraz announced this week he would return to defend his singles title after being sidelined since April with a right wrist injury.
World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka will partner four-time US Open winner Novak Djokovic and Jessica Pegula will team up with fellow American Taylor Fritz following withdrawals by their previous teammates Jack Draper and Elena Rybakina, respectively.
The mixed doubles main draw begins Tuesday.
Main Draw
Direct Entrants
Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic
Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz
Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud
Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli
Amanda Anisimova and Learner Tien
Diana Shnaider and TBA
Wild Cards
Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori
Alex Eala and Felix Auger-Aliassime
Leylah Fernandez and Frances Tiafoe
Taylor Townsend and Alexander Zverev
Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils
Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz
Jakub Mensik and Karolina Muchova
Emma Navarro and Tommy Paul
QUALIFIERS (2)
Qualifying
Direct Entrants
Katerina Siniakova and Henry Patten
Gabriela Dabrowski and Harri Heliövaara
Luisa Stefani and Neal Skupski
Aleksandra Krunic and Mate Pavic
Kristina Mladenovic and Marcelo Arevalo
Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool
Wild Cards
Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev
Peyton Stearns and Christian Harrison
Watch the ATP and WTA Tours live on Sky Sports. The US Open is also live on Sky Sports from August 30. Stream tennis with NOW and the Sky Sports App.
