Tennis legend Serena Williams will return to the US Open for the first time since 2022 after being selected to compete in the mixed doubles tournament alongside Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz.
The United States Tennis Association announced the mixed doubles pairings on Saturday, confirming Williams and the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion as one of the final wildcard teams for the event.
Williams, 44, is a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion and a six-time US Open singles winner. However, she will not compete in the singles tournament this year.
Serena and Alcaraz Receive Wildcard
Williams and Alcaraz were among the final three wildcard entries awarded places in the mixed doubles main draw.
The other wildcard teams include Czech pair Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik, as well as Americans Emma Navarro and Tommy Paul.
Williams has previous success in US Open mixed doubles, having won the 1998 title alongside Max Mirnyi.
Her return to the tournament comes after she recently teamed up with her sister, Venus Williams, in women’s doubles at Cincinnati. The sisters, however, were eliminated in the first round.
Venus Williams Also Set for US Open
The USTA had previously awarded a wildcard to Venus Williams, 46, giving both sisters a place at the US Open.
Serena’s appearance will nevertheless be limited to mixed doubles, meaning fans will not see the 23-time Grand Slam champion compete in the women’s singles draw.
Mixed Doubles Begins Tuesday
The mixed doubles competition will begin on Tuesday and conclude on Wednesday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York.
The main US Open tournament is scheduled to begin on August 30.
The mixed doubles field also underwent changes after Jack Draper and Elena Rybakina withdrew. Their former partners, Americans Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz, reunited and received direct entry into the main draw.
Russian player Diana Shnaider, whose original partner Daniil Medvedev also withdrew, will have an opportunity to find a new partner before the draw is finalised.
Serena’s partnership with Alcaraz is expected to be one of the biggest attractions of the tournament, bringing together one of the greatest players in women’s tennis history and one of the leading stars of the men’s game.
