Tennis fans have another reason to circle this year’s US Open: Serena Williams is heading back to the tournament that made her a household name.

The 44-year-old icon has accepted a wild card to compete in mixed doubles, teaming up with reigning star Carlos Alcaraz for what promises to be one of the tournament’s most-watched storylines.

This marks Serena’s first appearance at Flushing Meadows since 2022, and for a player who built her legend on that very court, the moment carries obvious emotional weight.

With 23 Grand Slam singles titles to her name, she remains one of the sport’s most decorated competitors, even years removed from full-time competition.

Her return to the game has been gradual. After nearly four years away from professional tennis, she made a notable comeback appearance at the Cincinnati Open, pairing with sister Venus in doubles their first time playing together since that same 2022 US Open.

The reunion was short-lived, though, as the sisters fell in the first round to Marta Kostyuk and Peyton Stearns.

Whether Serena will also enter the women’s singles draw remains an open question. The USTA has kept one singles wild card in reserve, but she hasn’t said if she’ll take it.

Adding intrigue to this year’s mixed doubles event is a redesigned format: best-of-three sets, matches decided at four games apiece, no-ad scoring, and a 10-point tiebreak to settle things when needed a faster, higher-stakes twist built to showcase star power.