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Editor's note: Keep up with all the US Open mixed doubles action.NEW YORK — The US Open mixed doubles run for Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz is over after two games as the duo with 30 total Grand Slam singles titles were eliminated in a quarterfinal match at Arthur Ashe Stadium, 5-4, 4-1, by fourth-seeded Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli.Bencic and Cobolli, the mixed doubles champions at Indian Wells, will take on Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils in one of the semifinals on Aug. 26.The most decorated singles pair to ever appear in a Grand Slam mixed doubles draw did their best before a supportive contingent at Ashe, and their first return to the big stage was a successful one as they defeated Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool 5-3, 4-1 in the first round.The 44-year-old Williams was making her first return to Flushing Meadows since 2022, when she lost in the third round to Ajla Tomljanovic. She has won six US Open singles titles and one U.S. Open mixed doubles title with Max Mirnyi in 1998.Alcaraz, the youngest male to complete the career singles Grand Slam, returned to his first competitive tennis matches since April because of a wrist injury. The seven-time Grand Slam and defending US Open champion announced last week that he will also compete in the singles tournament, which starts Aug. 30.But Alcaraz looked rusty in the early stages of the match, hitting his first three balls into the net before Williams slammed a winner past Routliffe on the fourth serve. They quickly found themselves down a break, and the qualifiers went up 3-1 before Williams and Alcaraz stormed back to take four straight games and took the set when a forehand winner found an open spot, as the familiar grunts and an occasional "Come on!" by Williams delighted the packed stadium.Routliffe and Glasspool had to win two qualifiers just to reach the main draw. They were broken early in the second set, found themselves quickly down three games, and were sent packing after 58 minutes on the third match point of the game when Glasspool's forehand down the baseline sailed wide.Williams ends her run in New York as she is not in the field for the women's singles tournament, while Alcaraz awaits an announcement of his first-round opponent in his return to singles competition.
