🎾 Williams and Alcaraz: what the mixed draw signals

Serena Williams came back to tennis in June after four years away. She and Alcaraz have now received a wildcard into the US Open mixed doubles — 44 Grand Slams between them, the draw's marquee pairing.

Also in the field: Djokovic–Sabalenka, Rybakina–Fritz, Swiatek–Ruud. Doubles specialists, including Siniakova and Patten, go through qualifying.

The format was overhauled in 2024 — sets to four games, match tiebreak instead of a third set. Errani and Vavassori criticised the changes, then won the title and $1 million in prize money. The US Open is steadily building mixed doubles into a standalone product, per BBC Sport.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydWMc8x_LDY