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<\/p>\nSerena Williams\u2019 return to the U.S. Open after a four-year absence and Carlos Alcaraz\u2019s comeback to competitive tennis after a four-month injury layoff brought cheers, excitement and a wave of nostalgia to Flushing Meadows.<\/p>\n
The celebration, however, was short-lived.<\/p>\n
Williams and Alcaraz were eliminated from the mixed doubles quarterfinals Tuesday, losing to Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli 5-4 (4), 4-1.<\/p>\n
Cobolli had dubbed their opponents before the match \u201cthe queen of tennis and the king of now,\u201d a fitting description for a star-studded pairing with eight U.S. Open singles titles between them.<\/p>\n
Williams and Alcaraz had thrilled the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd in their opening match, overcoming a slow start to beat Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool 5-3, 4-1. The fans were firmly behind the high-profile duo throughout the contest.<\/p>\n
\u201cI never expected to be back on this court,\u201d Williams said after playing at Flushing Meadows for the first time since 2022. \u201cI never thought this would happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now, attention turns to whether Williams will make another appearance at the tournament, potentially alongside her older sister, Venus, in women\u2019s doubles.<\/p>\n
The Williams sisters have won the U.S. Open twice and captured 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together, making a reunion on the court one of the tournament\u2019s most anticipated possibilities.<\/p>\n
Serena, who is back playing tennis at age 44, does not plan to play singles.<\/p>\n
Williams, in her latest mixed doubles appearance, hit some vintage shots that looked straight out of her prime. She won the U.S. Open mixed doubles title with Max Mirnyi in 1998.<\/p>\n
Early on, she carried Alcaraz, the 23-year-old defending champion who is ranked No. 3 in the world and was clearly rusty in his first competitive action since April 14.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think everybody could see: I double-faulted on the first point,\u201d said Alcaraz, who missed the French Open and Wimbledon because of a right wrist injury and wore a sleeve on that arm. \u201cI was really, really nervous. I was out for four months … I almost forget how it feels.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fans chanted, \u201cCome on, Carlos!\u201d and \u201cLet\u2019s go, Serena, let\u2019s go!\u201d But the pair was overpowered by Bencic and Cobolli, letting a first-set tiebreaker slip away before being dominated in the second.<\/p>\n
Cobolli acknowledged being tight because Williams and Alcaraz were on the other side of the net. Bencic said Williams tried to intimidate her by telling her she speaks Italian better.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was surreal to play against Carlos,\u201d Bencic said. \u201cSometimes I was just standing at the volley or the return, and I was like, \u2018How did I end up on this court?\u2019 I don\u2019t really know. Just a huge honor. Obviously, you can feel both of their auras.\u201d<\/p>\n
The matches in the first three rounds feature sets played to four games, with a tiebreaker at 4-all and a 10-point tiebreaker instead of a third set. Only the final Wednesday night will resemble a regular match, with traditional sets played to six games.<\/p>\n
The champions will receive $1 million in the second year of the new mixed doubles format, which is designed to attract top players.<\/p>\n
Joining Bencic and Cobolli in the semifinals are Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils, Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev, and Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik.<\/p>\n
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