Speculation over a potential Serena Williams-Carlos Alcaraz mixed doubles partnership at the US Open has continued to grow, but Greg Rusedski has urged caution. The former British No. 1 warned that Alcaraz’s latest training footage suggests his wrist injury may be more serious than many fans believe.
The rumored pairing has been circulating for weeks, with reports claiming the US Open is keen to feature blockbuster mixed doubles teams, including Venus Williams alongside Jannik Sinner. The buzz intensified after Alcaraz shared a training video on Instagram with the caption, “On the right path,” to which Serena Williams replied, “They not ready.”
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However, Alcaraz has not competed since April after suffering a right wrist injury that ruled him out of both the French Open and Wimbledon. While many fans viewed the training clips as a positive sign, Rusedski interpreted them differently, saying the footage actually raised concerns about the severity of the injury.
Speaking on the Off Court with Greg Rusedski podcast, he said:
“I would be shocked if he is playing the US Open! Because what I noticed when I was watching the video footage, you know he’s hitting some light forehands, some light backhands, barely hitting the ball, doing movement patterns.”
“And when he was serving, did you realise that he didn’t hit one serve. He was doing the full motion and landing, letting the ball drop and then restarting the motion,” he added.
The Brit continued:
“For me, to put a video out like that, I guess it gets you the publicity to say look, I’m working hard to try to get back. But it gives me more questions than answers and it just tells me that there’s something a lot more serious if he’s not actually hitting the ball.”
Carlos Alcaraz faces major ranking setback amid Wimbledon absence
Alexander Zverev is set to become the new World No. 2 when the ATP rankings officially update on Monday, with his run to the Wimbledon final already enough to overtake Carlos Alcaraz regardless of how the final itself goes. Zverev’s semifinal win pushed him to 8,480 points on the PIF ATP Live Rankings, moving him past Alcaraz’s 8,160.
The drop to No. 3 could also affect Alcaraz‘s path at the upcoming US Open, with a possible semifinal matchup against Sinner instead of a final, depending on the seeding. His return remains uncertain for now, with Cincinnati being mentioned as a likely comeback point ahead of the New York Slam.
Edited by Pritha Ghosh
