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Alcaraz and Williams Pair
The U.S. Open announced that Serena Williams will team up with Carlos Alcaraz for its mixed doubles tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, with the event beginning Monday at the venue.
“the US Open announced Saturday that the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion will team up with Carlos Alcaraz”
The U.S. Open’s mixed doubles tournament runs as a two-day, 16-team event, with qualifying on Monday, Aug. 24 where eight teams compete for the final two main-draw spots.
On Tuesday, Aug. 25, the first round and quarterfinals will be played, and on Wednesday, Aug. 26, the semifinals and final will take place.
The tournament’s scoring format for qualifying through the semifinals is best-of-three-set matches with sets to four games, no-ad scoring with a tiebreak at 4-4, and a 10-point tie-break in lieu of the third set.
The championship match is also a best-of-three-set format with no-ad scoring and a 10-point tiebreak in lieu of the third set, as the U.S. Open’s retooling continues into its second edition.
Wild Cards and Field
Sky Sports said the second year of the reimagined Mixed Doubles Championship will be played Monday, August 24 to Wednesday, August 26, with the tournament live on Sky Sports Tennis and Sky Sports+.
Sky Sports also reported that Serena Williams will partner Carlos Alcaraz after being handed a wildcard entry, and it listed other wild cards including Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, Alex Eala and Felix Auger-Aliassime, and Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils.
The WTA Tennis preview similarly placed Williams and Alcaraz in the field as the tournament begins Monday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, and it described the pairing as Williams’ competitive return to the U.S. Open after she last played in 2022.
Sportsnet.ca said the U.S. Tennis Association announced Saturday that Williams and Alcaraz had been given a wild card into the tournament, and it added that the mixed doubles main draw begins Tuesday.
Sportsnet.ca also stated that the winning team will share $1 million, tying the star pairing to the prize at the center of the revamped event.
What It Means Next
The WTA Tennis preview said the mixed doubles tournament includes a star-studded field featuring Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic, returning finalists Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud, and defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori.
“including Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic, returning finalists Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud”
Sky Sports listed direct entrants such as Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic, Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz, and Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud, while also naming wild cards like Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz and qualifiers including Katerina Siniakova and Henry Patten.
Sportsnet.ca reported that Williams is not planning to play singles in New York, and it said the USTA had been holding one women’s wild card, presumably in case Williams wanted it.
The New York Times framed the pairing as a major moment for the sport, noting that Alcaraz and Williams will take the court in Arthur Ashe Stadium next Tuesday and that the announcement came two days after Alcaraz said he was ready to return from his wrist injury after four months on the sidelines.
With the mixed doubles tournament set for Aug. 24 through Aug. 26, the U.S. Open’s next week-long slate begins with other competitions starting on Aug. 30 through Sept. 13, as Sky Sports put the broader schedule around the mixed doubles kickoff.