Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz are officially out of the US Open mixed doubles, getting bounced in the quarter-finals after a short-lived but undeniably electric return to Arthur Ashe Stadium. This all-star pairing, hyped up after Williams’ long absence, couldn’t push past the fourth seeds, leaving fans stunned after only two matches in the tournament.
The Star Duo’s Short Ride and Other Early Exits
The tournament started with a bang for Williams and Alcaraz, as they stormed through their opening round match against Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool, taking it down 5-3, 4-1. The crowd, which erupted in deafening cheers as their queen, Williams, took the court for her first competitive match at Arthur Ashe Stadium since her tearful farewell from the sport in 2022, was absolutely buzzing. It felt like anything was possible!
But that high energy couldn’t carry them past Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli in the last eight. The partisan crowd tried their absolute best to will Williams and Alcaraz through, but the fourth seeds were just too much, overpowering them in a 5-4(7-4), 4-1 defeat. It wasn’t just them, either. Top seeds Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka also got knocked out in their very first match, falling to experienced doubles players Katerina Siniakova and Henry Patten in a tight 1-4, 4-2, 10-2 battle, with Siniakova even sealing it with an ace. Talk about an upset right out of the gate!
The Mixed Doubles Format Puts Specialists on Notice
This mixed doubles event, now in its second year of a revamped format designed specifically to put singles stars in the spotlight, was supposed to draw more fans. And it has! Last year was a commercial success, pulling in sellout crowds and attracting huge singles names. Sure, some doubles specialists grumbled that it marginalized established pairings, but hey, it got eyeballs on the court. What’s wild this year is that those same doubles specialists, despite their complaints, have really struggled. Nine of them made it into the main draw, but every single one of them was out before the semi-finals even started. Even last year’s champions, Italian duo Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, got sent home early, losing to Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev 1-4, 4-1, 11-9 in their first round.
Meanwhile, the married pair Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina are making some noise. They just booked their spot in the semi-finals with a thrilling, over 90-minute win against those same doubles world No 1s, Katerina Siniakova and Henry Patten, winning a deciding tie-break. They’re set to face Bencic and Cobolli next. On the other side of the bracket, the all-Czech duo of Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik will battle either Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev or Diana Shnaider and Casper Ruud for a finals spot. The path to the title is getting clearer, even if some of the biggest names aren’t on it anymore!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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