Serena Williams’ return to the US Open delivered plenty of nostalgia, star power and memorable tennis, even if her run alongside Carlos Alcaraz ended sooner than a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium would have preferred.
Williams and Alcaraz were eliminated from the mixed doubles competition in the quarterfinals Tuesday, falling to Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli 5-4 (4), 4-1.
The result closed a brief but compelling partnership between two players representing very different chapters of tennis history. Williams, 44, was competing at the US Open for the first time since 2022. Alcaraz, 23, was returning to competitive action after approximately four months away because of a right wrist injury.
Together, they brought eight US Open singles championships onto the same side of the court.
The partnership got off to a successful start. Williams and Alcaraz overcame some early trouble in their opening match before defeating Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool 5-3, 4-1.
For Williams, the appearance offered another opportunity to compete in the stadium where she built so much of her legacy. She showed flashes of the form that made her one of the dominant players in tennis history, providing the enthusiastic New York crowd with more than a ceremonial return.
Alcaraz faced a different challenge. After months without tournament competition, the defending US Open men’s champion had to shake off understandable rust while adjusting to the unusual experience of sharing the court with Williams.
Bencic and Cobolli ultimately proved too strong.
Williams and Alcaraz stayed close through the opening set, but losing the tiebreak gave their opponents control of the match. Bencic and Cobolli capitalized in the second set and quickly ended one of the tournament’s most closely watched partnerships.
Williams’ participation also revived memories of her previous success in mixed doubles. She captured the US Open mixed doubles championship with Max Mirnyi in 1998.
Whether this appearance turns into something more remains an intriguing question. Williams is not planning to return to singles competition, but another doubles appearance could still be possible.
One particularly tantalizing possibility would reunite Serena with older sister Venus Williams. The sisters formed one of the most successful doubles teams of their era, collecting 14 Grand Slam women’s doubles championships together, including two at the US Open.
For now, Serena’s New York comeback was short, entertaining and unmistakably significant.
She may not have left Arthur Ashe Stadium with another trophy, but for tennis fans who thought they had already witnessed her final US Open match four years ago, simply seeing Williams compete there again made this mixed doubles experiment feel like considerably more than another quarterfinal.
