A day of mixed doubles at the US Open was seemingly destined to come down to Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz facing Flavio Cobolli and Belinda Bencic for a spot in the semifinals on Wednesday. Both had won their first-round matches, and both duos featured elite singles players who hadn't partnered together before.
Williams might have had the advantage, as she has had an illustrious doubles career, too, but one is only as comfortable and as efficient as their partner in doubles. Alcaraz was elite in singles, but not quite as historically good in doubles.
Still, the difference between the two teams for fans was that Williams and Alcaraz appeared to be having fun while winning and playing, while Cobolli and Bencic appeared more bent on simply winning. They weren't smiling as much, but they also likely knew that most fans in New York weren't there to watch them, but instead, their opponents.
Flavio Cobolli and Belinda Bencic defeat Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz at the 2026 US Open
The tennis was terrific, though. All the players had their moments, and Cobolli, for example, was just as good through the first set as he was in his first match with Bencic. He was at times the best player on the court, seemingly driven to steal the spotlight from Alcaraz, specifically. In singles, he was a rising Italian, and the Spaniard's level of success was where he wanted to be.
A well-played and tight first set led to a tie-break where Cobolli and Bencic controlled the narrative, taking the decider 7-4. Bencic was playing well, too, but it was her partner who was going to win or lose the match. Sometimes, Cobolli's ferocity gets the better of him.
To begin the second set, Bencic and Cobolli held under duress, but then so did Alcaraz and Williams in the second game. That would be the last game they would win.
Cobolli and Bencic simply played too well together and could be a formidable duo if they choose to play together in the future. After losing the second set 1-4, the biggest question for Carlos Alcaraz is whether he feels well enough to play singles in the main draw of the US Open.
Flavio Cobolli and Belinda Bencic will next play the married couple of Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina in the US Open mixed doubles semifinals on Wednesday. Monfils is playing in the final major of his storied career, so he and Svitolina might have even more to play for than the million dollars that goes to the winners of the mixed doubles event.
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