Serena Williams returns after four years, partners Alcaraz at 2026 US Open mixed doubles

Serena Williams, 44, returns to competitive tennis for the first time since 2022 at the 2026 US Open mixed doubles, partnering Carlos Alcaraz, who has not played since April through a wrist injury. They face Britain's Lloyd Glasspool and New Zealand's Erin Routliffe, doubles specialists who qualified by beating Arevalo and Mladenovic. The revamped format uses four-game sets and 10-point tiebreaks instead of a third set.