U.S. Open Mixed Doubles Opens with Star Power and Upsets

The U.S. Open mixed doubles tournament has gotten underway at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, Queens, with a star-studded 16-team field competing for a $1 million prize. The revamped two-day event, which debuted last year to attract top singles players, features an unprecedented lineup of marquee pairings, including Serena Williams teaming with Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka partnering Novak Djokovic.

A Blockbuster Partnership Takes Center Stage

Serena Williams is making her first U.S. Open appearance since 2022, when she lost to Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round before a memorable farewell ceremony. The 44-year-old, who returned to competitive tennis earlier this year after nearly four years away, is not planning to play singles at the tournament. Instead, she has teamed with two-time U.S. Open men’s singles champion Carlos Alcaraz, combining for 46 Grand Slam titles in singles and doubles.

“I never thought I would do this again,” Williams said earlier this summer. “I don’t need to win. I’ve won more than most people have in their whole lives, so it’s not that important to me… I don’t have anything to prove. I don’t have anything to lose, and everything here is just to gain.”

Alcaraz, ranked No. 2, is returning from a right wrist injury (tenosynovitis) that sidelined him since April and kept him out of the French Open and Wimbledon. He confirmed his return on social media with “I’m coming back. Here we go,” and later posted a celebratory message tagging Williams on X.

The duo received a wild card into the main draw and were scheduled to face qualifiers Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool in the first round on Tuesday, according to The Athletic.

Top Seeds Eliminated in Opening Round

The tournament’s biggest early surprise came when top seeds Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka were eliminated in the first round, losing to doubles world No. 1s Katerina Siniakova and Henry Patten, 1-4, 4-2, [10-2], as AP News reported. The high-profile duo, combining the world No. 1 women’s player with the 24-time Grand Slam champion, started strongly but were outplayed by the experienced doubles specialists in the decisive tiebreak.

Other first-round results included Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils defeating Alex Eala and Felix Auger-Aliassime 4-1, 4-1 in their first-ever competitive doubles appearance together. Monfils, competing in his final U.S. Open before retiring later this season, and Svitolina, his wife, delighted the crowd at Louis Armstrong Stadium. Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik also advanced, defeating Kristina Mladenovic and Marcelo Arevalo 4-1, 2-4, [10-7].

Emma Navarro and Tommy Paul produced another upset, defeating fellow Americans and No. 3 seeds Amanda Anisimova and Learner Tien 5-3, 4-2 to reach the quarterfinals. “It’s a dream to be out here playing with Tommy,” Navarro said after the match. “He definitely carried me today.” Paul added: “We told them before the match, they had a lot of pressure being the No. 3 seeds coming in! I think it’s the biggest upset of the tournament so far.”

A Revamped Format Designed for Star Power

The mixed doubles event was dramatically overhauled in 2025 to attract top singles players. The new format features a 16-team bracket played over just two days, with “fast-fours” scoring: best-of-three sets to four games (until the final), a 10-point tiebreak instead of a third set, and no-ad scoring. The winning team receives $1 million, with $500,000 for the runner-up, and the total prize pool is $2,880,000, according to TennisUpToDate.

Last year’s inaugural revamped event attracted approximately 78,000 spectators over two days and packed Arthur Ashe Stadium for the semifinals and finals. Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori won the $1 million prize and are back to defend their title.

The star-studded field also includes No. 2 seeds Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz, who re-paired after their original partners withdrew, as well as defending champions Errani and Vavassori. Iga Swiatek withdrew from the tournament, ending her planned partnership with Casper Ruud, who instead partnered with Diana Shnaider.

What to Watch For

The semifinals and championship final will take place Wednesday evening in Arthur Ashe Stadium, with the winner claiming the $1 million prize. All eyes will be on Williams and Alcaraz as they take the court together for the first time, potentially setting up a dream semifinal clash with Sabalenka and Djokovic—though both teams must first navigate their quarterfinal matchups.

For Alcaraz, the mixed doubles could serve as a test run to determine whether his wrist has healed before he defends his singles title later in the tournament. For Williams, it’s a chance to add another chapter to her storied career at the Grand Slam where she won her first title as a 16-year-old in 1998.

As Al Jazeera noted, few pairings are bigger than Williams and Alcaraz—the two-time U.S. Open men’s champion who is ranked No. 2. Their presence gives the mixed doubles tournament a major headline attraction even before the first ball is struck.