The U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) announced Saturday that Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz have received a wild card entry to compete in mixed doubles at the upcoming U.S. Open. The pairing marks Williams' return to the tournament for the first time since 2022.
Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, returned to competitive tennis this summer following a nearly four-year absence. Earlier this year, she competed at Wimbledon, where she lost in the first round of singles and withdrew from a doubles match with her sister, Venus Williams, due to a knee injury. The sisters recently competed together in doubles at the Cincinnati Open on August 17.
Alcaraz is entering the tournament as the defending U.S. Open singles champion. He has been sidelined since April with a right wrist injury but confirmed this week that he would return for the New York event. In February, Alcaraz became the youngest man to complete a career Grand Slam by defeating Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open.
The return of Williams to the U.S. Open follows her previous appearance in 2022, which was widely reported as her final tournament before her recent summer return. For Alcaraz, the tournament serves as a test of his physical recovery from a four-month wrist injury layoff. The USTA stated it is holding one remaining women's singles wild card, meaning Williams could still be added to the singles bracket, which would further alter the tournament's competitive landscape and match scheduling.
The mixed doubles main draw is scheduled to begin this coming Tuesday. While the USTA has confirmed the wild card for doubles, Williams has not yet announced if she intends to utilize the remaining singles invitation. Official match times and opponents will be determined once the full draw is finalized following the conclusion of qualifying rounds.