Serena Williams's much-anticipated return to the U.S. Open concluded with two matches on Tuesday, as she and Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the quarter-finals after defeating Lloyd Glasspool and Erin Routliffe, only to lose to Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli. This marked the first major attraction of the reimagined mixed doubles competition at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Read More
Emerging from the tunnel 1,453 days after her last singles match against Ajla Tomljanovic, Williams received a warm welcome from over 10,000 fans. At 44, she and Alcaraz took the court wearing matching purple-and-black Nike outfits, as public-address announcer Andy Taylor detailed her impressive career achievements, which included a combined 30 Grand Slam singles titles with Alcaraz.
Despite the tournament still being in its qualifying week, the atmosphere mirrored that of the main draw, with throngs of fans making their way from the Mets-Willets Point subway station to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, while vendors sold refreshments and various groups shared information.
Alcaraz, returning from a wrist injury, initially struggled but they rallied to clinch the first match 5-3, 4-1 against Glasspool and Routliffe. “I never expected to be back on this court,” Williams said after their victory. However, they could not sustain the momentum, with Bencic and Cobolli defeating them 5-4 (4), 4-1 in the quarter-finals. Despite the defeat, Williams displayed her skills with impressive net play, even serving first in the mixed doubles format, a rare occurrence.
The changes to the mixed doubles format, which included reduced match lengths and a higher prize fund, resulted in swift and dramatic eliminations. Top seeds Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka also faced early exits, adding to the unpredictability of the revamped competition.
Elina Svitolina and Gaël Monfils, who won against Siniakova and Patten, advanced further, as Monfils approaches retirement. He remarked, “Happy wife, happy life,” in reference to their success. While Williams's stay was brief, it effectively heightened the anticipation surrounding the U.S. Open.