Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz Set for US Open Mixed Doubles Opener

Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail

NEW YORK: Tennis legends and stars will share the court at the US Open as Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz begin their mixed doubles campaign against Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool.

The pair will play their first-round match on Tuesday, with the contest marking Williams’ first appearance at the US Open since 2022.

Their opponents include Erin Routliffe, the reigning US Open women’s doubles champion. Routliffe and Glasspool secured their place in the mixed doubles main draw after winning two qualifying matches, both of which were decided by match tiebreaks.

Strong Competition in the Draw

The mixed doubles tournament features several high-profile combinations.

Top seeds Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic will face Katerina Siniakova and Henry Patten. Siniakova and Patten are ranked No. 1 in doubles on their respective tours, making the opening round a challenging assignment for the top seeds.

The first-round matches and quarterfinals are scheduled for Tuesday, while the semi-finals and final will take place on Wednesday.

Routliffe Brings Grand Slam Experience

Routliffe enters the tournament with an impressive record in women’s doubles.

She partnered with Gabriela Dabrowski to win the US Open women’s doubles title in 2023 and 2025. Their most recent victory came against Siniakova and Taylor Townsend in last year’s final.

Routliffe’s experience could make the Williams-Alcaraz opening-round match particularly interesting.

Changes to the Draw

Sabalenka and Djokovic were originally scheduled to face Leylah Fernandez and Frances Tiafoe.

However, Tiafoe withdrew from the mixed doubles tournament on Monday after reaching the Cincinnati Open final on Sunday.

The change opened an opportunity for a team that had previously been eliminated in qualifying to enter the main draw.

With several major names competing together, the short mixed doubles tournament is expected to attract significant attention during the opening days of the US Open.