Printed On 26 Aug 2026
The return of Serena Williams to Arthur Ashe Stadium got here to an abrupt finish as she and Carlos Alcaraz fell 5-4(4), 4-1 to Flavio Cobolli and Belinda Bencic within the US Open combined doubles quarterfinal, their magic fading after an impressed early efficiency.
The 23-time main winner had not competed on the crown jewel of US tennis since her tearful farewell from the game in 2022, and followers erupted in deafening cheers as their queen took the courtroom once more on Tuesday.
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The 44-year-old Williams had a simple rapport with Alcaraz, who’s 21 years her junior, because the companions grinned and giggled their well past 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 in a semifinal on Wednesday.
“Taking part in Serena and Carlos on Arthur Ashe is just not simple. I used to be drained earlier than the match, I’m drained now,” mentioned the Italian Cobolli.
Williams, who is just not competing within the singles, confirmed glimpses of her previous brilliance of their opening match towards Routliffe and Glasspool, blasting a 120mph (193.1km/h) ace to audible gasps from the packed home a little bit greater than two months after she introduced her beautiful comeback.
Alcaraz, who has not played since April on account of harm, shook off the early rust to shut out the set with a forehand winner earlier than they sprinted by way of the second set, embracing after the win of their matching royal purple outfits.
“It’s at all times such a tremendous place to be right here,” mentioned 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 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 don’t know the way I landed on this courtroom — to play Carlos and Serena is a good honour,” mentioned Bencic.
Workforce Djokovic-Sabalenka surprised
The combined doubles principal draw kicked off 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 principal draw.
The transfer proved a industrial success in its debut yr, drawing sellout crowds and attracting most of the sport’s greatest singles names regardless of criticism from some doubles specialists, who argued it marginalised established pairings.
Prime seeds Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka had been overwhelmed 1-4, 4-2, 10-2 by skilled doubles gamers Henry Patten and Katerina Siniakova in spherical one, with Siniakova sealing the upset in fashion with an ace.
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 of the day.
“The chemistry is what put us by way of as a result of we perceive one another even by the take a look at one another’s response or type of temper,” mentioned Svitolina. “We will discover the best phrases for one another.”
Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik will play Russian pair Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev within the different semifinal 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.
Federer returns to courtroom, bids goodbye
5-time US Open champion Roger Federer returned to the Arthur Ashe Stadium to play one final match for enjoyable towards longtime rival and pal Andy Roddick.
The occasion, billed as “An Icon Returns to New York”, packed the stands stuffed with followers there to look at the 45-year-old from Switzerland face Roddick in a prime-time exhibition. Many wore hats with the distinctive “RF” emblem that grew to become commonplace within the sport throughout Federer’s decade and a half of dominance, that includes 20 Grand Slam titles.
“It’s nice to be again in New York,” Federer mentioned. “I’ve unbelievable reminiscences, clearly, of this courtroom, of the followers right here, of the town.”
Federer reminisced about visiting for the primary time to play juniors in 1998 and reaching the ultimate. Three years later, his debut on centre courtroom was a straight-sets loss to Andre Agassi.
Federer, who final competed on the US Open in 2019 and retired in 2022, then teamed up with John McEnroe and confronted Roddick and Agassi in a doubles exhibition.
