Serena Williams returns to Flushing Meadows for the first time since 2022, stepping back onto the grand stage not alone but alongside Carlos Alcaraz, the sport's reigning force, as the two accept wild card invitations into mixed doubles at the U.S. Open. Her return is less a declaration than a question — one the sport and its fans are watching her answer in real time, while Alcaraz, freshly recovered from injury and already the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam, seeks to defend the very title that defines his ascendancy.
Serena Williams, Carlos Alcaraz Team Up for U.S. Open Mixed Doubles
Nearly four years away, and she is coming back to play.
Mark
Why does this pairing matter so much? It's mixed doubles—not the main event.
Mimi
Because Serena Williams hasn't played competitively in nearly four years. This isn't just a comeback; it's a statement that she's serious about it. And Alcaraz is the best player on the men's side right now. Together, they're not an afterthought.
Mark
But she lost in the first round at Wimbledon. Why should we think this will go differently?
Mimi
Wimbledon was her first match back. She's played since then—Cincinnati with Venus. You learn something each time you step on court. Mixed doubles is also a different animal. You're not carrying the entire load.
Mark
What about her knee? She withdrew from doubles at Wimbledon because of it.
Mimi
That's the real question nobody can answer yet. She played through it in Cincinnati, but the U.S. Open is a grueling tournament. We'll find out how durable she is.
Mark
And Alcaraz—he's been out since April with a wrist injury. Is he really ready?
Mimi
He says he is. He's defending champion, so there's motivation. But wrist injuries in tennis are tricky. You don't know until you're in match conditions whether it holds up.
Mark
So this is really about watching two players test themselves?
Mimi
Exactly. It's not about winning the mixed doubles title. It's about whether they can stay healthy and competitive. That's the story.
O Pulso
- Williams is back at a major for the first time in four years, and the tennis world is holding its breath to see how much of her former self she can reclaim.
- Her Wimbledon comeback this summer was humbling — a first-round singles loss and a doubles withdrawal due to a knee injury — but Cincinnati offered a quieter sign of progress.
- The USTA is keeping a women's singles wild card open for Williams, leaving the door ajar for a solo run that she has not yet committed to.
- Alcaraz enters as both partner and defending champion, returning from a months-long wrist injury with the pressure of back-to-back U.S. Open titles now within reach.
- The mixed doubles draw begins Tuesday, giving this unlikely pairing — legend in comeback, champion in prime — less than a week to find their rhythm together.
Serena Williams returns to Flushing Meadows for the first time since 2022, stepping back onto the grand stage not alone but alongside Carlos Alcaraz, the sport's reigning force, as the two accept wild card invitations into mixed doubles at the U.S. Open. Her return is less a declaration than a question — one the sport and its fans are watching her answer in real time, while Alcaraz, freshly recovered from injury and already the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam, seeks to defend the very title that defines his ascendancy.
Serena Williams is returning to the U.S. Open, and she is bringing company. The USTA awarded both Williams and Carlos Alcaraz wild card spots into mixed doubles, with the draw set to begin Tuesday — marking Williams' first appearance at Flushing Meadows since 2022.
Her road back to the major stage has been uneven. A Wimbledon return this summer ended quickly: a first-round singles loss to a 20-year-old and a doubles withdrawal alongside Venus due to a knee injury. But earlier this month in Cincinnati, the sisters paired again for the first time since 2022, offering a small but meaningful signal that the rust is lifting.
Alcaraz arrives in a different kind of spotlight. Before a right wrist injury sidelined him in April, he had already made history — becoming the youngest man ever to complete a career Grand Slam by defeating Djokovic at the Australian Open. Now recovered, he returns to defend his U.S. Open singles title while also stepping into this unusual doubles partnership.
The pairing is striking in its contrasts: a 23-time Grand Slam champion navigating a comeback alongside the sport's current dominant force. Whether Williams will also enter singles remains an open question — the USTA is holding a women's wild card in reserve — but for now, the mixed doubles court is where her story continues.
Serena Williams is coming back to the U.S. Open, and she is not coming alone. The tennis legend will pair with Carlos Alcaraz in mixed doubles after the U.S. Tennis Association handed both players wild card spots into the tournament on Saturday. The mixed doubles draw begins Tuesday, marking Williams' first appearance at Flushing Meadows since 2022.
It has been nearly four years since Williams last competed at a major tournament. She returned to professional tennis this summer, accepting wild card invitations to both singles and doubles at Wimbledon in June. That comeback was brief—she lost in the first round of singles to a 20-year-old opponent and withdrew from a doubles match with her sister Venus due to a knee injury. But the rust appears to be shaking off. Earlier this month at the Cincinnati Open, Williams played doubles with Venus, their first doubles pairing since 2022, when they fell to a Czech team.
Alcaraz, meanwhile, is returning to defend his U.S. Open singles title after spending months sidelined by a right wrist injury sustained in April. The timing of his recovery is significant: in February, before the injury, he became the youngest man in tennis history to complete a career Grand Slam, defeating Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open. Now he is healthy enough to chase back-to-back U.S. Open crowns.
The pairing of Williams and Alcaraz creates an unusual dynamic—a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion in her comeback phase joining forces with the sport's current dominant male player. Williams has not yet committed to competing in singles at the U.S. Open, though the USTA is holding a women's wild card in reserve should she decide to enter. That decision remains hers to make. For now, the focus is on mixed doubles, where the two will attempt to navigate a tournament that begins in less than a week.
Citações Notáveis
Williams has not yet committed to singles competition but the USTA is holding a women's wild card available if she chooses to enter— U.S. Tennis Association
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Leia o original em CBS News ↗
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