The mix of Serena Williams-Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic-Aryna Sabalenka suffered early exits within the combined doubles on the US Open.
IMAGE: Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz and Serena Williams of america react throughout their combined doubles Spherical of 16 match in opposition to Britain’s Lloyd Glasspool and New Zealand’s Erin Routliffe, at Flushing Meadows, New York, August 25, 2026. {Photograph}: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters
Key Factors
- Serena Williams, partnering Carlos Alcaraz, made a triumphant return to the US Open, within the combined doubles.
- The duo defeated Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool to advance to the quarter-finals.
- It was Williams’s first aggressive look at Arthur Ashe Stadium since her 2022 farewell.
- High seeds Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka had been upset within the opening spherical of the revamped combined doubles format.
- The US Open combined doubles format goals to draw singles stars and enhance fan engagement.
IMAGE: Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic and Italy’s Flavio Cobolli throughout their match in opposition to Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz. {Photograph}: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters
Serena Williams’s return to Arthur Ashe Stadium got here to an abrupt finish on Tuesday as she and Carlos Alcaraz fell 5-4(4), 4-1 to Flavio Cobolli and Belinda Bencic within the US Open combined doubles quarter-finals, their magic fading after an impressed early efficiency.
The 23-times main winner had not competed on the crown jewel of American tennis since her tearful farewell from the game in 2022, and followers erupted in deafening cheers as their queen took the courtroom once more.
The 44-year-old Williams had a straightforward rapport with Alcaraz, who’s 21 years her junior, because the companions grinned and giggled their well beyond Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool 5-3, 4-1 within the opening spherical earlier on Tuesday.
However their firepower was extinguished by the ice-cold Cobolli and Bencic, who will play married companions Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils within the semi-finals on Wednesday.
“Taking part in Serena and Carlos on Arthur Ashe isn’t straightforward. I used to be drained earlier than the match, I am drained now,” stated the Italian Cobolli.
Williams, who isn’t competing within the singles, confirmed glimpses of her previous brilliance of their opening match in opposition to Routliffe and Glasspool, blasting a 120 mph (193.1 kph) ace to audible gasps from the packed home just a little greater than two months after she introduced her gorgeous comeback.
Alcaraz, who has not performed since April as a consequence of harm, shook off the early rust to shut out the set with a forehand winner earlier than they sprinted by means of the second set, embracing after the win of their matching royal purple outfits.
“It is at all times such a tremendous place to be right here,” stated Williams. “I by no means anticipated to be again on this courtroom.”
The Roland Garros runner-up Cobolli and Tokyo Olympic champion Bencic had been too robust a activity, nonetheless, as each Williams and Alcaraz made early errors and Cobolli sealed the tie-break with an ace.
The Swiss-Italian pair solely upped their stage from there, with no unforced errors within the second set, and gave credit score to their opponents after the match.
“I do not know the way I landed on this courtroom – to play Carlos and Serena is a good honour,” stated Bencic.
Serena’s Dominant Efficiency
IMAGE: Britain’s Henry Patten and the Czech Republic’s Katerina Siniakova have a good time profitable their US Open combined doubles Spherical of 16 match in opposition to Belarus’s Aryna Sabalenka and Serbia’s Novak Djokovic. {Photograph}: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters
Williams hit a backhand winner the primary time she touched the ball, incomes uproarious cheers from the packed home just a little greater than two months after she introduced her gorgeous comeback.
After buying and selling breaks, Williams blasted a 120 mph (193.1 kph) ace on the penultimate level within the seventh sport, drawing audible gasps from the group.
Alcaraz, who has not performed since April as a consequence of harm, shook off the early rust to shut out the set with a forehand winner.
They sprinted by means of the second set with ease, embracing after the win of their matching royal purple outfits.
“I am enjoying subsequent to the one and solely Serena Williams,” stated the seven-times main winner Alcaraz. “Attempting to do the issues she instructed me to do.”
Revamped Blended Doubles Format
IMAGE: Aryna Sabalenka and Serbia’s Novak Djokovic react after profitable a degree through the match. {Photograph}: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters
The combined doubles kicked off on Tuesday within the second yr of its revamped format, which put singles stars within the highlight in an effort to lure extra followers in a standalone spot the week earlier than the singles predominant draw.
The transfer proved a business success in its debut yr, drawing sellout crowds and attracting lots of the sport’s largest singles names regardless of criticism from some doubles specialists, who argued it marginalised established pairings.
Upsets And Different Outcomes
IMAGE: Henry Patten and Katerina Siniakova are congratulated by Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic after the match. {Photograph}: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters
High seeds Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka had been crushed 1-4, 4-2, 10-2 by skilled doubles gamers Henry Patten and Katerina Siniakova in spherical one, with Siniakova sealing the upset in type with an ace.
“It wasn’t trying superb for some time, on this format we play one unhealthy sport and hastily the primary set’s gone,” Patten stated. “We knew the identical may occur within the second, and we performed a tremendous tie-break.”
Final yr’s champions, Italian duo Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, misplaced to Russian pair Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev 1-4, 4-1, 11-9.
They are going to play the winner of a match between Casper Ruud and Diana Shnaider and People Jessica Pegula and Taylor Fritz.
IMAGE: France’s Gael Monfils and Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina have a good time profitable their US Open combined doubles quarter-final match in opposition to Britain’s Henry Patten and Czech Republic’s Katerina Siniakova. {Photograph}: Mike Frey/Reuters
Patten and Siniakova went on to lose to Monfils and Svitolina within the quarters 5-4(6) 4-5(3) 10-8 of their second match on Tuesday.
“The chemistry is what put us by means of as a result of we perceive one another even by the take a look at one another’s response or form of temper,” stated Svitolina. “We will discover the precise phrases for one another.”>/p>
Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik will play Russian pair Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev within the different semi-final match on Wednesday.
Rublev and Andreeva beat final yr’s champions, Italian duo Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, 1-4 4-1 11-9 within the opening spherical earlier than ousting Casper Ruud and Diana Shnaider 4-1 4-5(9) 10-5.
