NEW YORK -- Serena Williams getting back on the court at the US Open after a four-year absence and Carlos Alcaraz returning to competitive tennis after being out the past four months with injury brought cheers and nostalgia to the Grand Slam tournament.
The celebration was short-lived.
After winning their debut playing together, Williams and Alcaraz got knocked out in the mixed doubles quarterfinals by Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli 5-4 (4), 4-1 on Tuesday. Cobolli before the match called their opponents "the queen of tennis and the king of now."
The star-studded duo with a combined eight US Open singles championships certainly earned that praise. Williams and Alcaraz bounced back from a slow start in the first round to defeat Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool 5-3, 4-1, much to the delight of fans inside Arthur Ashe Stadium who were clearly on their side.
"I never expected to be back on this court," Williams said after her first match at Flushing Meadows since 2022. "I never thought this would happen."