Serena Williams’ and Carlos Alcaraz’s US Open Run Ends Sooner Than Expected

Serena Williams’ and Carlos Alcaraz’s run at mixed doubles in this year’s US Open is over, but not before they gave Arthur Ashe Stadium a night to remember.

Aug 17, 2026; Mason, OH, USA; Serena Williams stands on the court against Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns in their doubles match during the Cincinnati Open at Lindner Family Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The pairing won their opening match Tuesday before falling in the quarterfinals just hours later, a quick but eventful debut for two of the sport's biggest names sharing a court for the first time.

Williams and Alcaraz Take the Opening Match

Williams and Alcaraz opened their highly-anticipated US Open run with a 5-3, 4-1 win over doubles specialists Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool, but it didn't come easily. 

Routliffe and Glasspool broke Alcaraz's opening service game and jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the first set, before Williams and Alcaraz eventually found their footing. Trailing 3-2, they earned their first break of the match to level things at 3-3, then survived two set points before Williams closed out the set with a pair of aces.

Williams and Alcaraz then carried that momentum into the second set to seal the win, embracing at the net in matching purple outfits afterward. Williams, who hadn't played at the US Open since her 2022 farewell, said post-match, “I never expected to be back on this court.”

The Quarterfinal That Ended It

Just a few minutes after their first win, Williams and Alcaraz were back on Arthur Ashe to face fourth-seeded Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli. This time, the challenge proved too tough, as Bencic and Cobolli took the first set in a tiebreak, 5-4 (7-4), then closed out the match with a 4-1 second set.

It was a jarring turnaround from the drama of the opening match, with Williams and Alcaraz unable to win a single set against Bencic and Cobolli. Though fans hoped for a more competitive second match, the crowd still thoroughly enjoyed seeing Williams play at the US Open again.

Williams and Alcaraz weren't the only stars to fall early. Top seeds Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic were also eliminated in the first round, as were No. 2 seeds Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz.

Keeping It Light After the Loss

Both teams were lighthearted about the early exit and the opportunity to play mixed doubles at the US Open. Cobolli admitted the environment made the win a grind, saying, “Playing Serena and Carlos inside Arthur Ashe Stadium is not easy.” Bencic echoed the sentiment, saying, “To play Carlos and Serena, it is a great honor. We felt their aura for sure.”

For Williams and Alcaraz, the mood afterward was more celebratory than disappointed. When asked how their day went, Alcaraz joked, “Yeah, we tied,” in reference to splitting their two matches, while Williams laughed in agreement.

What's Next for Williams and Alcaraz

For Alcaraz, the day marked his first competitive action since April, when he was sidelined with a wrist injury that kept him out for the last four months. As the reigning US Open men’s singles champion, he’ll now shift focus to defending that title when the singles main draw begins on August 30th.

Williams, who isn’t participating in singles this year, isn't done in New York just yet. She and sister Venus were awarded a wildcard into women's doubles on Wednesday, marking the sisters' first Grand Slam pairing since the 2022 US Open. For a player who once said her goodbyes to this tournament, Flushing Meadows keeps finding new reasons to welcome her back.