​Serena Williams’s latest remark on Carlos Alcaraz’s Instagram post has sparked widespread speculation that the tennis icon could team up with the Spaniard for a second US Open Mixed Doubles edition. Alcaraz teamed with Emma Raducanu, the 2021 US Open champion, during the inaugural mixed doubles event, but the pair were eliminated in the first round. Williams has been making a notable return to competitive play after a four-year hiatus, competing in doubles at Queen’s Club and Berlin as part of her build-up to Wimbledon. She accepted wildcards to play both singles and women’s doubles at Wimbledon, though a knee injury sustained during her singles match with Maya Jam. prevented a doubles run alongside her sister Venus Williams.
Alcaraz is focused on rehabilitation as he plots his climb back to the ATP Tour in time for his US Open title defense. The 23-year-old recently shared training snapshots from his tennis center in Spain and received a cryptic comment from Williams amid the sport’s best wishes for his recovery. “They not ready,” Williams wrote beneath Alcaraz’s post on Instagram. The remark quickly drew eyes from the fanbase, with many interpreting it as a hint that Williams could join forces with Alcaraz for the 2026 US Open mixed doubles event. For weeks, speculation has circulated about a potential partnership between the tennis icon and the 23-year-old, with Venus Williams also being floated as a possible teammate for Jannik Sinner.
Tennis journalist José Morgado suggested Williams’s comment might be signaling a future doubles pairing with Alcaraz on the horizon, writing on X: “Serena Williams clearly teasing a US Open mixed doubles partnership with Carlos Alcaraz.” Other fans voiced similar optimism, predicting a mixed doubles bid at Flushing Meadows. One commenter even argued that Williams’s remark pertained to their chances in doubles, highlighting Williams’s status as a three-time US Open doubles champion, including two titles in women’s doubles and one in mixed doubles.
Whether Williams and Alcaraz will actually team up remains to be seen. She has certainly signaled openness to competing in the North American hardcourt swing, hinting at a potential presence in the lineup. Meanwhile, Alcaraz’s own status for his US Open title defense is up in the air as he continues to recover from a wrist injury. He is not listed in the Canadian Open entry list and may make a comeback at Cincinnati before heading to New York for the Grand Slam.
As the tennis world awaits official confirmation, fans are buzzing about a possible Williams-Alcaraz partnership for the US Open’s doubles events. If real, this pairing would mark a high-profile alliance between a veteran of the sport and one of its rising stars, generating huge intrigue and excitement ahead of the late-summer major.