If you are wondering is Serena Williams playing in the US Open, the answer is yes — but not in the women’s singles tournament. Serena Williams has returned to the 2026 US Open in doubles competition, teaming up with her older sister, Venus Williams, after also competing in the tournament’s mixed doubles event with Carlos Alcaraz.
The development marks another significant chapter in Williams’ unexpected return to competitive tennis. The 44-year-old American had appeared to move away from professional tennis after the 2022 US Open, but she returned to competition in 2026. Her appearance in New York has generated enormous attention because the US Open has been one of the defining tournaments of her historic career.
As of the latest tournament information, Serena is scheduled to compete in women’s doubles with Venus. She is not entered in the 2026 US Open women’s singles draw.
Serena Williams Is Not Playing US Open Singles
Serena Williams is not competing in the 2026 US Open women’s singles tournament.
Her return to Flushing Meadows is instead taking place through doubles. This distinction is important because Serena’s previous US Open appearances were primarily associated with her extraordinary singles career, including six US Open singles championships.
Williams last played a US Open singles match in 2022. That tournament was widely viewed as her farewell to professional tennis after she announced that she was “evolving away” from the sport.
Her decision to return in 2026 therefore represents a notable change, but it does not mean that she has resumed a full-time singles career.
The 2026 US Open singles competition began August 30 in New York and runs through September 13. Serena is not part of the 128-player women’s singles field.
Instead, her involvement centers on doubles, giving fans another opportunity to see one of the most accomplished players in tennis history compete at the tournament where she achieved some of her greatest successes.
Serena and Venus Williams Receive US Open Doubles Wild Card
The biggest news for Serena’s 2026 US Open campaign came on August 26, when Serena and Venus Williams received a wild card into the women’s doubles tournament.
The sisters are among the most successful doubles teams in tennis history. Together, they have won 14 Grand Slam women’s doubles titles, including US Open championships in 1999 and 2009.
Their return to the US Open doubles draw also reunites them at a Grand Slam tournament for the first time since the 2022 US Open.
The USTA awarded the sisters one of the women’s doubles wild cards for the 2026 tournament. Their entry means fans in New York will have another opportunity to watch the Williams sisters compete together on one of tennis’ biggest stages.
The doubles tournament is scheduled to begin for Serena and Venus on either Thursday, September 3, or Friday, September 4. The exact match schedule is released closer to play.
The women’s doubles final is scheduled for September 11 at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Serena Already Played at the 2026 US Open
Serena’s return to the tournament is not simply an upcoming appearance. She has already competed at the 2026 US Open in the revamped mixed doubles championship.
Williams partnered with Carlos Alcaraz after the pair received a wild card into the mixed doubles tournament. The combination of the 23-time Grand Slam champion and the reigning US Open men’s singles champion quickly became one of the most talked-about pairings of the tournament.
The event provided Serena with her first competitive appearance at the US Open since 2022.
Williams and Alcaraz won their opening match against Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool, producing an entertaining performance in front of a large Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd.
Their run ended in the quarterfinals, however, when they lost to Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli. The match ended 5-4(4), 4-1 under the special scoring format used for the revamped mixed doubles championship.
Although Serena and Alcaraz did not reach the semifinals, the appearance was significant because it confirmed that Williams was willing to compete again at the US Open after several years away.
Why Serena’s 2026 Return Is Significant
Serena Williams’ relationship with the US Open is unlike that of almost any other modern tennis player.
She won six US Open singles championships, tying Chris Evert for the most women’s singles titles at the tournament in the Open Era. Her six singles victories came in 1999, 2002, 2008, 2012, 2013 and 2014.
Her dominance in New York was also part of a much larger Grand Slam career. Williams won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most by any player in the Open Era.
Her US Open success extended into doubles as well. With Venus, she won the women’s doubles title in New York in 1999 and 2009.
That history makes her 2026 appearance especially meaningful. Even though she is not returning to the singles draw, seeing Serena back on the courts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center represents a major moment for longtime tennis fans.
It also adds a different dimension to the tournament. Rather than attempting another singles run, Serena is competing in doubles and sharing the court with her sister.
Serena Williams’ 2026 Tennis Comeback
The US Open is part of a broader comeback that began earlier in 2026.
Serena returned to competitive tennis in June after nearly four years away from the sport. Her first appearance came at the Queen’s Club tournament in London, where she played doubles with Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko.
The return was unexpected because Serena had not played a professional match since the 2022 US Open.
She subsequently returned to the Grand Slam stage at Wimbledon. Serena entered the singles tournament and also planned to compete in doubles with Venus, although her Wimbledon singles campaign ended when she withdrew after suffering a knee injury during her first-round match against Maya Joint.
Despite that setback, Serena continued her return to competition.
She and Venus reunited at the Cincinnati Open in August, where they played women’s doubles together. The sisters lost their opening match to Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns, but their participation provided an early indication that they intended to compete together again.
The US Open then became the next major stage in Serena’s comeback.
Serena’s US Open Schedule in 2026
Serena’s 2026 US Open involvement can be divided into two separate competitions.
Her mixed doubles campaign with Carlos Alcaraz has already concluded. The pair reached the quarterfinals before being eliminated by Bencic and Cobolli.
Her women’s doubles campaign with Venus is still ahead.
The key points are:
- Serena is not competing in women’s singles.
- Serena and Carlos Alcaraz competed in mixed doubles and reached the quarterfinals.
- Serena and Venus received a wild card into the women’s doubles draw.
- Serena and Venus are expected to begin their doubles campaign on September 3 or September 4.
- The women’s doubles championship match is scheduled for September 11.
The exact time and court for the Williams sisters’ opening doubles match depend on the tournament’s daily order of play.
Serena and Venus Have a Long US Open Doubles History
The Williams sisters have spent much of their careers creating history together.
Their first US Open women’s doubles championship came in 1999. A decade later, they won the title again in 2009.
Their success was not limited to New York. Together, Serena and Venus collected 14 Grand Slam doubles championships across the four major tournaments.
They won six Wimbledon doubles titles, four Australian Open doubles titles, two French Open doubles titles and two US Open doubles titles.
Their last Grand Slam doubles championship came at Wimbledon in 2016.
The sisters returned to Grand Slam doubles competition at the 2018 French Open and then again at the 2022 US Open. Their 2026 US Open appearance therefore represents their latest reunion on the Grand Slam stage.
For Serena, it also comes during a remarkable period in which she has returned to professional competition after previously stepping away.
What Serena’s Return Means for the US Open
The 2026 US Open is already attracting substantial attention because of its collection of major champions and returning stars. Serena’s presence adds another historic storyline to the tournament.
Her return is particularly notable because she had previously left the sport on the very same court.
At the 2022 US Open, Serena competed in front of packed crowds at Arthur Ashe Stadium before losing to Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round. The match was widely interpreted as the conclusion of her singles career.
Four years later, she returned to the same tournament.
This time, however, her role is different. She is not chasing another singles championship. Instead, she is competing alongside other players and, in the women’s doubles draw, reuniting with Venus.
That makes the 2026 appearance less about a conventional comeback campaign and more about another opportunity for Serena to compete at a venue that has played a central role in her career.
Public Interest in Serena Williams at the 2026 US Open
Interest in Serena’s return has been enormous, particularly because there was no expectation for several years that she would return to Grand Slam competition.
Her mixed doubles match with Alcaraz attracted a large crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium and produced one of the most memorable moments of the opening stages of the tournament.
The attention surrounding the Williams sisters’ doubles entry is similarly strong.
For American tennis fans, Serena and Venus represent one of the most recognizable sibling partnerships in sports. Their careers helped transform women’s tennis and inspired generations of players.
Their reunion also comes at a time when women’s tennis has a new generation of stars competing for Grand Slam titles. Serena’s presence offers a connection between different eras of the sport.
Serena Williams’ US Open Legacy
Even without another singles appearance, Serena’s record at the US Open remains one of the strongest in tournament history.
Her six women’s singles titles put her level with Evert for the Open Era record. She also won two women’s doubles championships with Venus and one mixed doubles title.
Her 1998 mixed doubles championship came with Max Mirnyi, giving Serena a rare combination of singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles success at the tournament.
The 2026 mixed doubles appearance added another chapter to that record, even though she and Alcaraz were eliminated before the semifinals.
Her doubles partnership with Venus could now provide another opportunity for the Williams sisters to add to their long history at Flushing Meadows.
Latest Update on Serena Williams at the US Open
The latest confirmed information is straightforward: Serena Williams is playing at the 2026 US Open, but she is not playing women’s singles.
She has already completed her mixed doubles appearance with Carlos Alcaraz, reaching the quarterfinals before losing to Bencic and Cobolli.
Her next US Open competition is women’s doubles with Venus Williams. The sisters received a wild card and are expected to begin their tournament on September 3 or 4.
There is currently no official indication that Serena will enter the women’s singles tournament or begin another singles campaign at this year’s US Open. Her confirmed 2026 US Open participation is through doubles.
For fans searching is Serena Williams playing in the US Open, the most accurate answer is therefore yes — Serena is back in New York and competing, but her 2026 appearance is in doubles rather than singles.
Final Thoughts
Serena Williams’ return to the US Open has already delivered one of the most unexpected stories of the 2026 tournament. After nearly four years away from competitive tennis, the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion returned to Flushing Meadows for mixed doubles with Carlos Alcaraz and advanced to the quarterfinals.
Now she has another opportunity to compete at the tournament alongside Venus.
The Williams sisters’ women’s doubles appearance is particularly meaningful because they have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together and twice captured the US Open doubles championship.
While Serena is not part of the 2026 women’s singles draw, her presence ensures that one of the most important figures in tennis history remains part of this year’s US Open story.
Stay updated with the latest Serena Williams and US Open developments, and share your thoughts on the Williams sisters’ return to Grand Slam doubles competition in the comments.