Carlos Alcaraz to team up with Serena Williams in US Open mixed doubles

Alcaraz confirmed this week that he will return to competitive action at the US Open after missing around four months with a wrist injury. The Spaniard will defend his singles title at Flushing Meadows and will now also team up with Williams in the revamped mixed doubles competition.

The blockbuster pairing brings together two of the biggest names in tennis, with Alcaraz having established himself among the sport's dominant players over the past three years and Williams widely regarded as one of the greatest players in history.

The mixed doubles event will give fans an early glimpse of Alcaraz ahead of his singles title defence, while also providing Williams with another competitive outing following her return to tennis.

The mixed doubles tournament, which runs from August 24-26, is the second edition since the US Open revamped the event.

The USTA reduced the field from 32 teams to 16 and moved the competition to Fan Week ahead of the singles tournament, with $1 million awarded to the winners.

The changes were designed to put more of the sport's biggest singles stars at the centre of the competition rather than relying primarily on established doubles specialists.

Matches will also be considerably shorter, featuring sets played to four games, no-ad scoring and a 10-point match tiebreak instead of a deciding third set.

Six teams qualify directly based on the combined singles rankings of their players, further increasing the emphasis on singles stars.

READ MORE: Jannik Sinner out of US Open as main rival Carlos Alcaraz confirms his return