Bencic and Cobolli Defeat Williams and Alcaraz at US Open

Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli defeated Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz 5-4 (4), 4-1 in the US Open mixed doubles quarterfinals on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at Flushing Meadows, ending the high-profile pair's return to Arthur Ashe Stadium. The loss came shortly after Williams and Alcaraz opened the revamped tournament with a 5-3, 4-1 victory over Lloyd Glasspool and Erin Routliffe, attracting a crowd of over 10,000 spectators as the tournament introduced its new fast-paced format. Williams made her entrance to the court 1,453 days after her previous competitive appearance on the same stage, pairing with Alcaraz as a team possessing a combined total of 30 Grand Slam singles titles.

"I never expected to be back on this court," said Williams, a former women's world number one. "I never thought this would happen."

Despite winning eight of the final nine games during their opening-round victory, the duo was eliminated in 55 minutes by Bencic and Cobolli during the subsequent quarterfinal match. The top-seeded team of Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka was also eliminated early on Tuesday, falling in their opening match to Katerina Siniakova and Henry Patten.

Siniakova and Patten were subsequently defeated by Elina Svitolina and Gaël Monfils with a score of 5-4 (6), 4-5 (3), 10-8. "Happy wife, happy life," said Monfils, who is competing in his final Grand Slam tournament prior to retirement.

The revamped mixed doubles format at the US Open features a 16-team field competing for a top prize of $1 million ahead of the main singles draw.