Alcaraz talks about his nerves after playing alongside Serena Williams at the US Open

Carlos Alcaraz and Serena Williams have started their journey in the mixed doubles of the US Open 2026 with a stunning victory against Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool. Both arrived at the tournament with some concerns, which is why they gradually improved, but in the end, they played brilliantly to reach the quarter-finals. However, after the match, the Spanish player admitted that he started the match very nervously having the GOAT of women's tennis beside him. 

It should not be forgotten that Alcaraz is still a 23-year-old guy who is fulfilling his dreams at a dizzying pace. He has already achieved the Career Grand Slam and has teamed up with Rafa Nadal and now with Serena Williams, but the nerves are still present when playing alongside his idols. "I was nervous at the beginning; you saw that in the double fault on my first serve of the match. Playing alongside Serena, with the stadium practically full, more than four months without competing... the electricity of the crowd helped me," the Spanish player acknowledged.

Serena Williams reveals what it means to play beside Alcaraz

Serena, for her part, was also very excited to play alongside Alcaraz, as well as to return to Arthur Ashe 4 years after her last participation. "This is an amazing place to be again. I never expected to return to this court. It was a really great moment. I never thought this would happen. It’s a great privilege for us to be here. Playing with Carlos is really great. We're just having fun," said the queen of tennis.

A dream debut for both that only increases the hype to see what they will do against Flavio Cobolli and Belinda Bencic in a few minutes. The best part is watching them enjoy on the court and smile constantly, even when things were going wrong, an unmistakable sign that they are ready to entertain every time they step onto the main court of the US Open.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Alcaraz habla de su nerviosismo tras jugar junto a Serena Williams en el US Open