Serena Williams will return to competitive tennis at the 2026 U.S. Open mixed doubles event, partnering Carlos Alcaraz through a wildcard entry, the U.S. Tennis Association confirmed on August 23 [1, 2, 3]. They will begin their campaign on August 25 against qualifiers Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool in the first round [4, 5].
The mixed doubles event runs from August 25 to August 26, with qualifying held today, August 24, via an eight-team qualifying tournament introduced this year to expand the draw and include more singles stars [6, 7, 5]. Matches will be held in Arthur Ashe and Louis Armstrong Stadiums, with semifinals and the final scheduled for August 26 at Arthur Ashe Stadium [6, 7].
Williams, who is 44 years old and a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, will not compete in singles at this year’s U.S. Open. The last women’s singles wildcard was awarded to Sofia Kenin [2, 3]. Williams last played singles at the 2022 U.S. Open and returned earlier this year at Wimbledon, where she lost in the first round [1, 2, 6].
Alcaraz, ranked No. 2 in men's singles and the defending U.S. Open singles champion after missing four months with a wrist injury, said "Let’s gooooo!" as he prepared for the tournament start [2, 6, 5, 3]. The 16-team mixed doubles draw includes other top pairs such as the No. 1 seeded Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic [1, 2, 6, 4, 7]. Several withdrawals prompted last-minute partner changes and wildcards, including Jessica Pegula teaming with Taylor Fritz [2, 4, 3].
Williams is a former U.S. Open mixed doubles champion, having won the title in 1998 with Max Mirnyi [1, 2, 6, 3]. The winning team in 2026 will share a $1 million prize [2, 4].
The USTA revamped the mixed doubles format last year to increase singles star participation and added the qualifying tournament this year to accommodate more entries [2, 4, 5]. Mixed doubles first-round and quarterfinal matches will take place tomorrow, August 25, followed by semifinals and final on August 26 [6, 4, 7, 5].
