Carlos Alcaraz and Serena Williams launched their first-ever partnership with a convincing 5-3, 4-1 victory over Lloyd Glasspool and Erin Routliffe in the first round of the 2026 US Open mixed doubles on Tuesday at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The wildcard pair, whose pairing was confirmed just days ago, needed a few minutes to find their rhythm. Alcaraz dropped serve in the opening game and the duo trailed 1-3, but they quickly regrouped, winning the next four games to claim the first set 5-3. The second set was even more dominant: Alcaraz and Williams broke twice and held comfortably, sealing the match in under an hour.
Williams, 44, came out of retirement specifically for this event. She holds six US Open singles titles and won the mixed doubles crown with Max Mirnyi in 1998. Alcaraz, the youngest man to complete the career singles Grand Slam, returned to competitive tennis after a five-month absence due to a wrist injury, using the mixed doubles as match preparation ahead of the main singles draw.
The statistics underlined their superiority on return. Alcaraz and Williams won 52 percent of first return points and converted three of four break point opportunities, while their opponents managed just one break from seven chances. On serve, Alcaraz fired two aces and the pair won 86 percent of service games despite a patchy first-serve percentage of 49 percent.
"We just went out there and had fun," Williams said after the match, with Alcaraz adding that playing alongside one of the greatest athletes in history was "a dream come true."
The mixed doubles draw, played during the US Open's opening week ahead of the main singles event, also features defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, who face Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev in the first round. Fourth seeds Flavio Cobolli and Belinda Bencic are drawn against Alexander Zverev and Taylor Townsend. Iga Swiatek's withdrawal allowed Casper Ruud to pair with Diana Shnaider.
Alcaraz and Williams will face a qualifier in the quarterfinals, with the entire mixed doubles competition condensed into three days at Flushing Meadows.
Sources
- https://www.tennisitaliano.it/us-open-alcaraz-e-serena-williams-giocheranno-insieme-nel-doppio-misto/
- https://www.tennis.com/tournaments/us-open/matches/alcaraz-c-williams-s-vs-glasspool-l-routliffe-e-2026-08-25
- https://www.tennisitaliano.it/us-open-sorteggiato-il-tabellone-del-doppio-misto-errani-e-vavassori-pescano-rublev-e-andreeva/
