Wilander explains the importance of the duo between Alcaraz and Serena Williams
The former world number one believes that the Spanish tennis player has hit the mark by playing mixed doubles alongside the American to feel some extra pressure following his return.
Carlos Alcaraz is the main attraction of the US Open 2026. Four and a half months after his serious wrist injury, the Spanish tennis player has made a spectacular return in the last Grand Slam of the season. Although he will make his individual debut tomorrow, last Tuesday he already played two mixed doubles matches with Serena Williams, something that former number 1 Mats Wilander praised.
According to the former Swedish tennis player, those two matches alongside the GOAT of women's tennis have been a great opportunity for Alcaraz to experience a pressure he was previously unfamiliar with. Carlos himself acknowledged in one of the post-match interviews that he was nervous playing alongside Serena, which Wilander considers positive given that at this moment, the main thing for the Spanish player is to gain sensations and avoid making mistakes, something he couldn't afford with the younger of the Williams sisters by his side.
Mats stated on TNT Sports that "if you're playing with Serena and the score is 15-30 and you have a backhand return, you have to make it every time. Without Serena, you can take risks; you can make a mistake. So I think for Carlos, this is an intensity that he probably has never felt before. Not even in a Wimbledon final would you feel that intensity when playing against or with Serena. She isn't playing very well, probably because she is a bit older, and Carlos had to carry the team, but she is the one making all the decisions".
Wilander reveals the biggest benefit of mixed doubles for Alcaraz
Wilander elaborated on his theory about why it is important that Serena guided Alcaraz in his two mixed doubles matches, as the lessons Williams provided could be very useful for combining them with the ideas of Samu López and the rest of the team in his first-round match against Roman Safiullin. However, after such a long time away from the court if the match is close, doubts will arise, which is why in those moments he will need advice from authoritative voices rather than the magic he has in abundance.
“For Carlos, having that external voice speaking to him while he plays, whether it's Juan Carlos Ferrero, who is no longer with him, or anyone else, I think it's essential when you're playing the US Open, because the first three matches are of vital importance. If you don't have any high-intensity training like the one he has now, I don't think you can win those three matches. And then you could lose in the first round. So for Alcaraz, this is an extremely important training.”
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