Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz headline revamped US Open mixed doubles as 2026 action begins

NEW YORK — The 2026 US Open's revamped Mixed Doubles Championship takes center stage Tuesday as some of the biggest names in tennis descend on the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, with Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz forming the tournament's most anticipated partnership.

The main draw begins today, August 25, after qualifying matches were held Monday. The competition runs through Wednesday, August 26, giving fans a rare opportunity to see Grand Slam singles stars compete together in a condensed mixed-doubles format.

For Williams, the tournament represents another remarkable chapter in her return to competitive tennis. For Alcaraz, it provides a competitive route back onto the court after a right-wrist injury kept him out of action for several months.

Serena Williams returns to the US Open

Williams' participation is the biggest storyline of the tournament. The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion last competed at the US Open in 2022, when many expected her legendary career to have reached its conclusion.

Now 44, Williams has returned to competitive tennis and accepted a wild card to partner Alcaraz in New York. It will be her first competitive appearance at the US Open since that 2022 singles campaign.

Williams has already made history in mixed doubles at Flushing Meadows. She won the 1998 US Open mixed doubles title with Max Mirnyi, meaning a successful run with Alcaraz could give her a second championship in the discipline 28 years after her first.

Her comeback has generated enormous attention beyond the tournament itself, particularly because she is competing alongside one of the leading players of the next generation.

Alcaraz returns after wrist injury

Alcaraz enters the tournament with his own comeback storyline.

The Spaniard has been sidelined since April with a right-wrist injury. He confirmed last week that he would return at the US Open, where he is also scheduled to defend his men's singles title.

Before his injury, Alcaraz had produced an outstanding start to the 2026 season, going 22-3 during the first four months and winning the Australian Open and Doha titles. His Australian Open triumph also completed his career Grand Slam at just 22 years old.

The mixed doubles event therefore gives Alcaraz an immediate opportunity to test his wrist and competitive rhythm before his singles title defence begins.

Serena and Alcaraz begin against Routliffe and Glasspool

The blockbuster pairing will begin its campaign against New Zealand's Erin Routliffe and Britain's Lloyd Glasspool, who advanced through qualifying.

The matchup adds another layer of intrigue because Routliffe is an accomplished doubles player, while Glasspool brings extensive experience in men's doubles. Serena and Alcaraz will consequently have little margin for error despite their enormous star power.

The match is scheduled as part of Tuesday's main-draw action at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

Djokovic and Sabalenka form another superstar team

Williams and Alcaraz are not the only marquee pairing in the draw.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and 24-time Grand Slam singles champion Novak Djokovic are the tournament's top seeds and will also make their mixed doubles debut as a team.

Sabalenka and Djokovic face Leylah Fernandez and Frances Tiafoe in the first round, with the winner advancing to a quarterfinal against either Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina or Alexandra Eala and Felix Auger-Aliassime.

The matchup gives the tournament another potential blockbuster, particularly with Sabalenka entering as the world's top-ranked women's singles player and Djokovic continuing his pursuit of major milestones.

A new-look US Open format

The mixed doubles championship was substantially revamped in 2025, moving to a compact event designed to put leading singles players on court together before the traditional singles tournament takes over the spotlight.

The 2026 edition follows the same model. Main-draw competition is being played over two days, August 25 and 26, with matches staged at Arthur Ashe Stadium and Louis Armstrong Stadium.

The format has helped turn mixed doubles from a relatively overlooked part of the Grand Slam schedule into one of the headline attractions of US Open Fan Week.

$1 million awaits the mixed doubles champions

The stakes are also significant. The winning mixed doubles team will receive $1 million, with $500,000 going to the runners-up and $250,000 awarded to each semifinalist.

Quarterfinalists receive $120,000 per team, while first-round winners and other stages are also allocated substantial prize money. The total mixed doubles prize pool for 2026 is $2.88 million.

More star pairings to watch

The tournament features several other high-profile combinations, including Americans Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz, who have been reunited as a team after withdrawals changed the original pairings.

Defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori are also back to defend their title, while Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik and Emma Navarro and Tommy Paul received wild cards into the main draw alongside Williams and Alcaraz.

The depth of the field means the Williams-Alcaraz partnership will have to navigate a highly competitive draw rather than simply rely on its star appeal.

Why the mixed doubles tournament matters

This year's event has become one of the biggest early stories of the 2026 US Open because it brings together generations of tennis at a single tournament.

Williams represents one of the most decorated careers in the history of the sport, while Alcaraz is one of its defining young champions. Djokovic and Sabalenka add another extraordinary combination of experience, power and Grand Slam pedigree.

For Williams, however, the significance goes beyond the result. Her return to the US Open court is an opportunity to continue a comeback that few expected to see after her 2022 farewell.

For Alcaraz, it is a chance to rediscover his competitive rhythm before beginning his singles title defence.

US Open mixed doubles 2026: What happens next?

The mixed doubles main draw begins Tuesday, August 25, with the championship scheduled to conclude Wednesday, August 26. The traditional US Open singles tournament will follow, with Alcaraz among the leading contenders in the men's draw.

With Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz on one side of the draw and Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka on the other, the revamped competition has already delivered one of the most star-studded mixed doubles fields in recent US Open history.

For tennis fans, the biggest question is simple: can Serena and Alcaraz turn one of the most talked-about partnerships in New York into a championship run?

Editor's note: The US Open Mixed Doubles Championship main draw begins August 25, 2026. Qualifying began August 24. Tournament schedules and match times are subject to change.