Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz reached the US Open mixed doubles quarterfinals before being beaten by fourth seeds Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli. The 44-year-old Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, secured her first professional win since 2022 alongside Alcaraz, who returned from a wrist injury. Their 5-3 4-1 victory over Lloyd Glasspool and Erin Routliffe drew cheers at Arthur Ashe Stadium. 'I never expected to be back on this court,' Williams said.

The pair fell short in the quarterfinals, with Bencic and Cobolli prevailing 5-4 4-1. Meanwhile, top seeds Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka were bounced in the first round, losing 1-4 4-2 10-2 to Henry Patten and Katerina Siniakova. The revamped mixed doubles format, moved to precede the singles, has attracted major stars despite criticism.