Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz just absolutely torched mixed doubles specialists Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool in their US Open first-round match, delivering a 5-3, 4-1 comeback win that had Arthur Ashe Stadium rocking. This wasn’t just any win, it was a statement from two tennis icons making significant returns to the competitive court, and the energy in New York was electric.
A Wild First Set Comeback No One Saw Coming
Let’s talk about that first set, because it was pure drama. Routliffe and Glasspool came out hot, breaking Alcaraz’s first serve right out of the gate and quickly jumping to a 2-0 lead. They even extended it to 3-1, putting the wild card duo on the back foot immediately. With sets in mixed doubles played to four games, Williams and Alcaraz were staring down the barrel, trailing 3-2 with the set on the line. But then the magic started. They broke their opponents’ serve for the first time in the match, tying things up at 3-3. Not only that, they survived two critical set points to keep the dream alive. Then, Serena herself stepped up to the line and pounded out a pair of aces on her serve, snatching a 4-3 lead. The momentum was fully theirs. Williams delivered a fiery forehand winner off a Routliffe serve, setting up game point, and the superstars followed through with their second break of the set to lock it down 5-3. After that, it was all Williams and Alcaraz, as their opponents only managed to win one of the final eight games. Talk about putting on a show for that supportive New York crowd!
Legends Return: Williams’ Comeback and Alcaraz’s Big Return
This match was so much more than a simple first-round win for both Serena and Carlos. For Williams, this was her first time back on Arthur Ashe Stadium since her final pre-retirement singles match way back in 2022. She’s been on a limited comeback to tennis, which included a first-round singles loss at Wimbledon and a doubles loss with her sister, Venus, at the Cincinnati Open. But seeing her out there, delivering aces and forehand winners with one of the biggest stars in the game, you can feel that legendary fire burning. For Alcaraz, this was huge. He’s been sidelined since April with a wrist injury that kept him out of Wimbledon and the French Open. He even pulled out of the Cincinnati Open recently because of that lingering injury. Now, the two-time and reigning US Open champion is finally back, and he’s still the favorite to win the men’s singles title, especially with injured World No. 1 Jannik Sinner not in the field. This mixed doubles pairing is his competitive return, and he looks ready to make some noise.
What’s next for this superstar duo? Williams and Alcaraz will take on the tournament’s fourth-seeded team, Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli, in the next round. It’s going to be a real test for these wild cards against a seeded opponent, but after that comeback performance, who’s counting them out?
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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