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'Nervous' Carlos Alcaraz and Serena Williams win on US Open mixed doubles debut - 'It was really cool' By Becky Hart React to this story Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz’s US Open mixed doubles campaign got off to a great start as they beat specialists Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool in straight sets, 5-3 4-1, in just under an hour. Williams and Alcaraz were broken immediately at the beginning of the match in an inauspicious start, with both showing signs of rust - especially the Spaniard, who unlike his partner, does not have a strong history on the doubles court. Up against two doubles specialists, it was tough going at the net for the star-studded pairing in the first few games at the US Open. "I mean, I think everybody could see - I double-faulted on the first point," Alcaraz said on court afterwards. "I was really, really nervous, playing alongside Serena. Obviously, it is still a competition, but I was out for four months and a half, nearly five months - I almost forgot how it felt stepping out on court. "But it was just a couple of games then [Williams] made it really easy for me, just try to enjoy, and go for it every time." Williams was back on the same court in New York where she played her last competitive match before "evolving" away from the sport in 2022. She added: "I mean it is always an amazing place to be here. I never expected to be back on this court. It is just a really cool moment, I never thought this would happen." Alcaraz last played on the tour back in April in Barcelona, before the Spaniard sat out the rest of the clay court season and missed the grass season in its entirety with his wrist injury. He has dropped to No. 3 in the world, seeing rival Jannik Sinner win Wimbledon in his absence while Alexander Zverev won the French Open. Meanwhile, Williams made her much-anticipated comeback at Queen’s earlier this summer, playing doubles with Victoria Mboko. She has played three doubles matches and one singles before taking to the court with Alcaraz. - Sabalenka and Djokovic stunned by Siniakova and Patten - Federer believes Djokovic can grasp record-breaking Grand Slam The pairing only needed half a set before they were showing the sort of tennis the crowd had come to see, Williams unleashing a huge winner to bring up set point, while Alcaraz responded with a forehand winner of his own to ensure the first set went the way of the decorated duo 5-3. From there, Williams and Alcaraz motored on, breaking at the start of the second set as they relaxed more and more on the court. The duo were equally relaxed off it, laughing and joking at the changeovers. Alcaraz then got the crowd on their feet with not one but two terrific gets at the net, showing the kind of athletic ability that has taken him to a career Grand Slam. Routliffe is a two-time US Open doubles champion, while Glasspool won Wimbledon in 2025 with Julian Cash, but they just did not have any answers out there, the duo looking increasingly lost as the crowd continued to cheer for their opponents. In the end, Williams and Alcaraz needed three match points to seal the win - with the American great calling playing with the Spaniard "so cool". She added that they were going to "just have fun" in their next round. Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli await in the quarter-finals, after they beat Taylor Townsend and Alexander Zverev in straight sets. Add TNT Sports as a preferred source here to enjoy more content like this. Watch and stream top tennis action - including the 2027 Australian Open and 2027 French Open - live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.