The highly anticipated pairing of Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz could not progress past the quarter-finals of the US Open mixed doubles tournament. Despite making a winning start, the duo fell to the formidable combination of Belinda Bencic of Switzerland and Flavio Cobolli of Italy, with a score of 5-4, 4-1. This result means that Bencic and Cobolli will advance to Wednesday's finale of the unorthodox competition, where the semi-finals and finals will be played back-to-back.
Williams, often hailed as the greatest women's tennis player in history, and Alcaraz, a seven-time Grand Slam singles champion from Spain, had shown strong form earlier by defeating the British-New Zealand pair of Lloyd Glasspool and Emma Routliffe. However, Cobolli, who is having a breakout season in singles as the French Open runner-up, and Bencic, an Olympic Gold medalist with singles wins over Williams, proved to be too formidable.
Williams made her competitive return to Arthur Ashe Stadium since her 2022 retirement, paired with Spain's Alcaraz, who himself was back after a lengthy injury layoff. The pair, dressed in coordinated purple and black jersey-type outfits, entertained the audience with their banter and jokes during changeovers. However, the audience, which had roared their arrival in Tuesday's first round, was a bit more subdued in the second match.
Earlier on Tuesday, another high-wattage pairing, former world number one Novak Djokovic and four-time Grand Slam champion Aryna Sabalenka, also faced defeat, losing to Czech Katerina Siniakova and Britain's Henry Patten in three sets. The US Open mixed doubles format, now in its second year, features a blend of doubles specialists and star singles players pairing up, often with an experimental mindset.
This year's event will have a new winner after defending champions Andrea Vavassori and Sara Errani, both doubles specialists, lost to the Russian pair of Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev. Another notable pairing that scored unexpected success was the husband-and-wife team of France's Gael Monfils and Ukraine's Elina Svitolina, who won two matches in the shortened format, including a tightly contested quarterfinal win over Siniakova and Patten.
The unique format of the US Open mixed doubles, which blends doubles specialists with star singles players, continues to draw significant attention. For Bangladeshi tennis enthusiasts, the event offers a glimpse into the experimental and dynamic nature of modern tennis, showcasing the versatility and unpredictability of the sport.
