Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz Exit US Open Mixed Doubles in Quarterfinals

Serena Williams' return to Arthur Ashe Stadium ended early as she and Carlos Alcaraz lost 5-4(4), 4-1 to Flavio Cobolli and Belinda Bencic in the US Open mixed doubles quarterfinals on August 25.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion was playing at the tournament for the first time since her tearful retirement in 2022. Fans roared their approval as the 44-year-old returned to the court on Tuesday.

Williams paired well with Alcaraz, 21 years her junior, as the duo laughed and smiled their way past Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool 5-3, 4-1 in the first round earlier the same day. But their momentum was halted by the cool and composed pairing of Cobolli and Bencic.

“Playing alongside Serena and Carlos on Arthur Ashe is not easy. I was tired before the match and I’m still tired now,” Italy’s Cobolli said.

Williams, who is not competing in singles, showed flashes of brilliance in the opening round against Routliffe and Glasspool, firing an ace at 120 mph (193.1 km/h) that stunned the crowd—just over two months after announcing her spectacular comeback.

Alcaraz, sidelined since April due to injury, quickly found his rhythm, closing out the set with a forehand winner before they surged ahead in the second set and hugged in celebration wearing royal purple outfits.

“It’s amazing to be here,” Williams said. “I never thought I’d step back onto this court.”

However, Roland Garros runner-up Cobolli and Tokyo Olympic champion Bencic proved too much of a challenge as Williams and Alcaraz made early errors and Cobolli sealed the tie-break with an ace. The Swiss-Italian pair increased the pressure from there, making no unforced errors in the second set.

“I don’t know how I got to this court—playing with Carlos and Serena is a huge honor,” Bencic said.

Djokovic-Sabalenka Pair Shocked

The main mixed doubles draw is in its second year of the revamped format, putting singles stars in the spotlight to draw more fans in the week before the singles main event begins.

The format proved commercially successful in its first year, attracting sell-out crowds and the biggest names in singles, though some doubles specialists criticized it for overshadowing traditional doubles pairings.

Top seeds Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka were beaten 1-4, 4-2, 10-2 by the experienced duo of Henry Patten and Katerina Siniakova in the first round, with Siniakova sealing the upset with an ace.

Patten and Siniakova then lost to Monfils and Svitolina in the quarterfinals 5-4(6), 4-5(3), 10-8 in their second match of the day. “Chemistry helped us get through because we understand each other with just a look or mood,” Svitolina said.

Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik will face Russian pair Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev in the other semifinal on Wednesday. Rublev and Andreeva beat defending champions, Italy’s Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, 1-4, 4-1, 11-9 in the first round before eliminating Casper Ruud and Diana Shnaider 4-1, 4-5(9), 10-5.

Federer Returns to Court, Says Goodbye

Five-time US Open champion Roger Federer returned to Arthur Ashe Stadium for a final fun match against longtime rival and close friend Andy Roddick.

The event, titled “A Legend Returns to New York,” drew a packed crowd to see the 45-year-old Swiss take on Roddick in a primetime exhibition. Many wore caps with the familiar “RF” logo, a symbol of Federer’s 15-year dominance with 20 Grand Slam titles.

“It’s great to be back in New York,” Federer said. “I have incredible memories of this court, of the fans, of the city.”

Federer recalled his first visit to the tournament as a junior in 1998, where he reached the final. Three years later, his debut on the main court ended in a straight-sets loss to Andre Agassi. Federer, who last played at the US Open in 2019 and retired in 2022, then joined John McEnroe to face Roddick and Agassi in a doubles exhibition.