Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz must wait to learn their first-round opponents in the U.S. Open mixed doubles tournament after being drawn against a team emerging from Monday’s eight-pair qualifying event.
The blockbuster duo received a wild card entry into the 16-team tournament, marking the six-time singles champion Williams’ first return to Flushing Meadows since 2022 alongside Alcaraz, a two-time men’s singles champion.
Main draw action kicks off Tuesday with the opening round and quarterfinals, followed by the semifinals and final on Wednesday, where the winning team will share a $1 million prize.
Facing a qualifying team presents a stern test, as the qualifying field consists mostly of doubles specialists. The qualifying round was created this year to offer opportunities for dedicated doubles players after the U.S. Tennis Association revamped the format last year to emphasize singles rankings for direct entry to boost star power.
Top seed status went to two-time defending women’s champion Aryna Sabalenka and 23-time Grand Slam singles winner Novak Djokovic, who registered the lowest combined singles rank in the field. They will open against Leylah Fernandez and Frances Tiafoe.
Second-seeded Americans Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz begin their run against Diana Shnaider and Casper Ruud. Ruud was originally set to team up with Iga Swiatek in a rematch of their 2025 runner-up finish, but Swiatek withdrew, while Shnaider stepped in after Daniil Medvedev pulled out.
Other key first-round matchups feature:
- Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils vs. Alex Eala and Felix Auger-Aliassime
- Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli vs. Taylor Townsend and Alexander Zverev
- Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik vs. TBD Qualifier
- Emma Navarro and Tommy Paul vs. Amanda Anisimova and Learner Tien
- Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev vs. Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori (Two-time defending champions)