Williams and Alcaraz eliminated in U.S. Open mixed doubles quarterfinals

Serena Williams, returning to the U.S. Open after a four-year hiatus, and Carlos Alcaraz, making his first competitive appearance since a wrist injury, were defeated in the mixed doubles quarterfinals. The pair lost to Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli 5-4 (4), 4-1 on Tuesday, ending their tournament after a first-round victory over Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool.

Williams said after her opening match, "I never expected to be back on this court. I never thought this would happen." Alcaraz added that he was nervous, noting a double fault on the first point and his four-month layoff.

Bencic described the experience as "surreal" and said she felt the presence of both opponents on court. Cobolli had earlier referred to Williams and Alcaraz as "the queen of tennis and the king of now."

The mixed doubles format this year uses sets to four games with a tiebreak at 4-all and a 10-point match tiebreak instead of a third set. The semifinal lineup now includes Bencic/Cobolli, Elina Svitolina/Gael Monfils, Mirra Andreeva/Andrey Rublev, and Karolina Muchova/Jakub Mensik, with the final scheduled for Wednesday night.