Carlos Alcaraz recently confirmed his plans to return at the 2026 US Open, ending a more-than-four-month injury layoff. The Spaniard’s announcement drew widespread attention across the sporting community, and Serena Williams was among the prominent figures to drop her reaction.
Williams and Alcaraz have kept tennis fans guessing with their interactions on social media, and their latest exchange has only added to speculation about a potential New York partnership.
Serena Williams Reacts to Carlos Alcaraz’s US Open Comeback Announcement
Alcaraz, who hasn’t competed since April, confirmed on Thursday, August 20, that he will be at Flushing Meadows to defend his US Open title. The Spaniard has been putting in the hard yards at his academy in his native Murcia, gradually regaining match fitness after a right-wrist injury derailed his 2026 season.
He is expected to travel to New York over the weekend to begin his preparations for the final Grand Slam of the year. After Alcaraz confirmed his comeback with a “Here We Go” message, Serena Williams was one of the first players to react.
“Ohhhhh ok. I like seeing this,” Williams wrote under Alcaraz’s Instagram post. The Spaniard responded with the eyes and hourglass emojis.
💪 Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz (again) hint at a US Open mixed doubles partnership pic.twitter.com/eeHvBK4WXg
— Olly Tennis 🎾 🇬🇧 (@Olly_Tennis_) August 20, 2026
Her reaction came less than two months after she dropped a “They not ready” message under his post showcasing his return to the practice court. Fan speculation has been rife about the pair’s potential mixed doubles partnership at the US Open ever since the American tennis legend staged a comeback after a four-year gap.
“This is my wild guess since last week. Serena is just waiting for Carlos to confirm if he’s playing USO cos if not she’ll play with Grigor (Dimitrov) instead,” one fan wrote on X.
“WE ARE 100% GETTING OUR SERENALITOS MATCH,” one excited fan concluded.
“Can’t wait to wake up to the Carlos Serena pairing being official,” another user chimed in on X.
“serena/carlos mixed doubles we comin for that title watch out @errani @vavassori,” one fan said, teasing two-time defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori.
The event, scheduled to take place from August 24 to 26, precedes the singles main draw, which begins on August 30. Alcaraz and Williams, the 1998 champion, are presently not listed in the mixed doubles lineup, which features top-tier pairings such as Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alexandra Eala, and others. Meanwhile, the participation of Elena Rybakina and Taylor Fritz, as well as Iga Świątek and Casper Ruud, remains in doubt following injuries to Rybakina and Ruud.
The 16-team event features six direct entries, two qualifying teams, and eight wildcards, with three of the wildcard spots yet to be determined. This leaves the door open for Carlos Alcaraz and Serena Williams to potentially receive a last-minute wildcard should they decide to compete for the title.
Alcaraz competed alongside Emma Raducanu as a wildcard during the 2025 inaugural edition of the new format. The pair lost their opening match against Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper, who were the top seeds at the event.
