Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz fall in US Open mixed doubles quarter-finals

Star pairing makes winning return before quarter-final defeat

Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz’s headline-grabbing US Open mixed doubles partnership came to an end in the quarter-finals, with fourth seeds Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli securing a 5-4, 4-1 victory over the star pairing.

The defeat ended an eventful return to competitive tennis for Williams, who at 44 made her first appearance since 2022. The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion had already made history by winning her opening match alongside Alcaraz, defeating Britain’s Lloyd Glasspool and Erin Routliffe 5-3, 4-1 in front of a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Williams enjoys emotional return

Williams’ comeback had attracted enormous attention after she returned to the court in June, three years after her previous professional match. Her partnership with Alcaraz provided an even bigger spectacle, with the Spaniard also returning to action following a wrist injury that had kept him sidelined since April.

The pair made a slow start against Glasspool and Routliffe but recovered impressively to claim victory. Williams admitted afterwards that she had never expected to return to Arthur Ashe Stadium, while the crowd enthusiastically celebrated the former world No 1’s comeback.

However, with the quarter-final scheduled immediately afterwards, Williams and Alcaraz struggled to maintain their energy. Bencic and Cobolli capitalised to win the opening set 5-4 before taking the second 4-1 and booking their place in the semi-finals.

Djokovic and Sabalenka suffer shock exit

The mixed doubles tournament also produced a major upset earlier in the competition when top seeds Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka were eliminated in the opening round.

The star duo won the first set against Britain’s Henry Patten and Czech doubles specialist Katerina Siniakova, but their opponents fought back to win the second before dominating the deciding tiebreak 10-2. Siniakova completed the surprise victory with an ace on match point.

The revamped mixed doubles format, introduced last year to attract more leading singles players, has again provided plenty of headline moments. The event is being held separately from the main singles tournament, allowing several of the sport’s biggest names to compete before the US Open singles draw begins.

Defending champions also knocked out

Defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori were another high-profile casualty, suffering a first-round defeat to Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev.

Andreeva and Rublev subsequently reached the semi-finals, where they will face Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik. In the other semi-final, Bencic and Cobolli will meet the husband-and-wife pairing of Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils.

For Williams, attention now turns to whether she will make another appearance at Flushing Meadows alongside older sister Venus in the women's doubles. She has already ruled out returning to singles at Wimbledon, leaving her future competitive plans uncertain after her brief but memorable US Open comeback.