Serena Williams is set to make her long-awaited return
to the US Open, teaming up with Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz in the mixed
doubles competition.
The 44-year-old American will return to the tournament
for the first time since 2022, although she will not compete in the women’s
singles event.
The United States Tennis Association (USTA) announced
the mixed doubles pairings, with Williams and Alcaraz among the final wildcard
entries into the main draw.
Williams, a six-time US Open singles champion,
previously won the tournament’s mixed doubles title in 1998 alongside
Belarusian player Max Mirnyi.
The other wildcard pairings include Czech duo Karolina
Muchova and Jakub Mensik, as well as American combination Emma Navarro and
Tommy Paul.
Williams’ return comes after she recently reunited
with her older sister Venus for women’s doubles at the Cincinnati tournament.
The sisters, however, were eliminated in the opening round.
Venus Williams, 46, will also compete at the US Open
after receiving a wildcard into the women’s singles main draw.
The mixed doubles competition will begin on Tuesday
and conclude on Wednesday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center,
ahead of the main US Open tournament, which begins on August 30.
The mixed doubles draw has also undergone several
changes following withdrawals. Britain’s Jack Draper and Kazakhstan’s Elena
Rybakina pulled out of the tournament, prompting their former partners,
Americans Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz, to reunite as a team. The pair
received direct entry into the main draw.
Russian player Diana Shnaider was also left without a
partner after Daniil Medvedev withdrew. She will have an opportunity to find
another partner before the draw is conducted on Sunday.
For Williams, the US Open appearance represents
another memorable chapter in her extraordinary career and gives fans the rare
opportunity to watch one of tennis’ greatest-ever players share the court with
one of the sport’s biggest current stars in Alcaraz.
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