World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic headline a star-studded 16-team field announced by the United States Tennis Association (USTA) on Monday for the 2026 US Open Mixed Doubles Event.Philippines star Alexandra Eala will make her debut in the event alongside Felix Auger-Aliassime. Other notable pairings include Alexander Zverev and Taylor Townsend, Diana Shnaider and Daniil Medvedev, and Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev.The mixed doubles event was revamped in 2025 to attract some of the biggest names in singles tennis, with a $1 million prize awarded to the winning team. The new format proved a major success, bringing several top players together during the opening week of the US Open.Defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori will return to Flushing Meadows to defend their title. The initial 2026 field also includes several teams who featured in last year’s tournament, including 2025 runners-up Iga Swiatek and Casper Ruud, as well as Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper.Djokovic with Sabalenka will face Swiatek and Ruud, while Pegula and Draper will also reunite after competing together in 2025.The field also features North American pair Leylah Fernandez and Frances Tiafoe, siblings Peyton Stearns and Preston Stearns, and a new partnership between Amanda Anisimova and Learner Tien.Kei Nishikori will also make his first appearance in the competition in what is expected to be his final year as a professional. The Japanese veteran will partner four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka.“Anytime you can bring women and men together on the same team, you showcase tennis at its best,” USTA chief executive Craig Tiley said in a statement.Eight additional teams are still expected to be added through wildcards, meaning there could yet be a chance for fans to see Carlos Alcaraz take part in the high-profile event.Alcaraz had been widely rumoured to partner Serena Williams, who made a surprise return to competitive tennis during the grass-court season in June. Williams competed at Queen’s, the Berlin Open and Wimbledon.At Wimbledon, she returned to singles action but suffered a first-round defeat to Maya Joint. She was also scheduled to play doubles alongside sister Venus Williams, but a knee injury forced her to withdraw.For now, however, neither Alcaraz nor Serena features on the initial 2026 entry list, leaving fans waiting to see whether the blockbuster partnership will eventually become a reality.