Serena Williams to partner Carlos Alcaraz in US Open mixed doubles

Serena Williams will partner Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open mixed doubles at Flushing Meadows this week after the pair received a main draw wildcard.

The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion recently returned to competitive tennis in June.

Her surprising comeback arrived four years after the tennis icon famously announced she was “evolving away” from the sport.

Injury recovery and match fitness

Since ending her hiatus, the American great has featured in three doubles matches and made an emotional singles return at Wimbledon.

However, her grass-court campaign ended in a tough three-set defeat to Maya Joint, during which she sustained a knee injury.

That physical setback kept the former world number one sidelined until this Monday, when she finally reappeared at the Cincinnati Open.

Formidable Grand Slam pedigree

Playing alongside her elder sister Venus, she suffered a first-round doubles defeat in Ohio during her first competitive outing since her Wimbledon injury.

Attention now shifts entirely to New York, where she will form a highly anticipated transatlantic partnership with the Spanish sensation.

Together, this newly formed cross-generational duo boasts a staggering combined total of 44 singles and doubles Grand Slam titles.

Tournament organisers have granted the blockbuster pairing a wildcard, ensuring their automatic placement into the main draw at Flushing Meadows.