Carlos Alcaraz and Serena Williams were undoubtedly the star attraction during the second iteration of the revamped US Open mixed doubles competition.
The Grand Slam winning pair played together in the all-star competition, which acted as the Spaniard’s first competitive match since injuring his wrist at the Barcelona Open in April.
Alcaraz and Williams won their first match in the competition, against Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool, but they were defeated in the quarter finals by Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli.
Nevertheless, fans absolutely loved seeing the tennis icons playing together and Williams has now revealed how much she enjoyed playing with the Spaniard.
During an interview with Elle ahead of her doubles stint at the US Open alongside her sister Venus Williams, she was asked about her US Open mixed doubles partnership with Alcaraz.
More Serena Williams news
“Carlos is such an incredible player, but he also brings so much joy to the court,” said the 23-time Grand Slam champion. “He has this amazing energy—he’s competitive, obviously, but he’s always smiling and having fun.
“As a partner, you feel that. He makes you want to raise your level, but at the same time he keeps things loose, which I really appreciate. And I have to say, having that speed on your side of the net is pretty nice.”
Both players are still at the US Open as they look to perform well in their separate disciplines.
Alcaraz has won his first two matches in the singles, against Roman Safiullin and Jaime Faria, and he will await a third round match against Wu Yibing.
Williams, meanwhile, will continue her doubles comeback by playing alongside her sister at her home tournament.
The Williams sisters have been drawn against Maya Joint and Chan Hao-ching, who are the 14th seeds at the Grand Slam.
Williams knows all about Joint, having met her in the first round of the singles at Wimbledon, which was her first singles match for nearly four years.
The pair played out a very competitive first round match on Wimbledon’s Centre Court, which went the distance, but the Australian was able to win the decider 6-3.
Williams will now get the chance to get a semblance of revenge on the Australian as she makes her return to the US Open for the first time since she bowed out back in 2022, when she lost in the third round to Ajla Tomljanović.
However, she will begin the match as the underdog, despite her incredible track record at her home Grand Slam.
