Tennis fans would likely not be stunned if Carlos Alcaraz withdrew from the 2026 US Open, as he hasn't played since April when he injured his wrist at the Barcelona Open. At this point, at least, he appears ready to team up with fellow icon Serena Williams in mixed doubles at the major, though.
Williams and Alcaraz partnering for doubles isn't truly a surprise, but a not-so-well-kept secret. Many of the mixed doubles teams feature high-end players with unusual partners and were previously announced. Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka will also participate together, for instance.
Still, Serena and Carlos were not a definite thing until the US Open shared the upcoming partnership on social media on Saturday. That was great enough in and of itself, but while many replied to the post on X, Alcaraz's response is the most valuable and notable.
Carlos Alcaraz endorses US Open's announcement about his tennis partnership with Serena Williams
He reposted the US Open's tweet and captioned it with "Let's gooooo!" while tagging Williams.
Let’s gooooo! 🔥 @serenawilliams https://t.co/8XErZUMXdi
— Carlos Alcaraz (@carlosalcaraz) August 22, 2026
Of course, none of this means that Alcaraz won't withdraw from the New York Grand Slam. His greatest rival, Jannik Sinner, has already withdrawn while he is dealing with a knee injury. Alcaraz will be rusty for the major, no matter how much he might have practiced.
He might make a deep run at the Grand Slam, of course, but expecting him to win the event after such a long layoff might be hoping for too much. That he plays at all would be fantastic news.
An odd part of all of this is that the return of Alcaraz has somewhat overshadowed the return of Serena Williams. She hadn't played since 2022 after indicating she might be retired (she never actually said she was calling it quits, but also wasn't playing any events) before playing doubles at the HSBC Championships and doubles and singles at Wimbledon.
Williams is not currently scheduled to play singles at the US Open, though that still has time to change. How much success she might have remains unknown, but after playing Wimbledon, her participating in singles in New York wouldn't be shocking.
Carlos Alcaraz could also have another reason for partnering with Serena Williams. Doubles shouldn't put as much pressure on his wrist, as he won't need to react to every shot hit in his direction, but the event would allow him to see how well his wrist might hold up once the main draw of the US Open begins.
The mixed doubles portion of the major is held the week leading up to the main draw. Rounds one and two of mixed doubles will be held on Tuesday, August 25, and the semifinals are the next day. US Open singles begin on Sunday, August 30.
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