Alcaraz and Williams thrill in US Open mixed doubles

Carlos Alcaraz and Serena Williams delivered a thrilling performance at the US Open mixed doubles tournament, despite criticism that the revamped format favors top singles stars over established doubles players. The tournament's new structure attracted about 15,000 spectators to Arthur Ashe Stadium, where the four doubles specialist pairings all lost on Tuesday.

Alcaraz, who was playing his first competitive match since April, and Williams, who was competing in New York for the first time since 2022, both displayed impressive teamwork and competitive spirit. Alcaraz praised his partner, mentioning her ability to guide him, while Williams expressed her delight at being back at her home slam.

However, the pair were eliminated in the quarter-finals, losing to Flavio Cobolli and Belinda Bencic of Italy. Alcaraz admitted he was nervous before the match due to partnering Williams, but quickly settled and enjoyed the experience. The controversial new format, introduced last year, pits established doubles players against top singles stars, with those paired against singles stars unable to enter the main singles draw.

Despite this, the semi-final line-up of world No. 6 Cobolli and Bencic against Russians Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev, and Czech duo Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik, proved to be the "sort of semi-final line-up organizers envisaged." Meanwhile, other top-ranked players such as Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka were eliminated early in the tournament, suggesting that the singles stars were indeed edging out the doubles specialists.