The duo of Carlos Alcaraz and Serena Williams at the US Open was always going to be a little more than just tennis. But beyond their mixed-doubles match, it was their fun, wholesome moments on court that had fans hooked. The two icons won only one match but delivered plenty of wholesome chaos along the way.

From the on-court banter to the fun little moments between points, fans got plenty to enjoy. Here are some of the best moments from Serena and Carlos’ mixed doubles adventure.

Carlos Alcaraz Admits to Being Nervous While Playing With Serena Williams

The mixed doubles partnership between Carlos Alcaraz and Serena Williams was a huge moment for both players, especially for Alcaraz, who made his on-court comeback after more than four months. The Spaniard had been sidelined with a wrist injury he suffered in Barcelona back in April, and the first-round match in the mixed doubles was his first competitive match in four months. The former World No.1 did not shy away from the fact that he was nervous, especially playing with a 23-time Major champion.

“I mean, I think everybody could see, you know, I double-faulted, you know, the first point, so. So I was, yeah, I was really, really nervous. I mean, playing alongside Serena, obviously, you know,” said Alcaraz during the on-court interview after their first-round win. “It’s still competition, you know, a full crowd. I was out for four and a half months, almost five months. Almost forget how I how I feel, you know stepping on the court once again, so. But it was just a couple of games then, you know, she made it easy for me.”

The Alcaraz-Williams duo had an excellent start to their mixed doubles campaign, winning 5-3, 4-1 against the duo of Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool, both of whom are top-ranked active doubles players on the Tour. The Spaniard was having a great time on the court, both having fun and staying focused on the play, as was evident in the first set.

At 4-3, the Spaniard was all smiles after a point, but was quickly able to shift his focus once Williams went up to him to talk about the next point. The chat seemed to work, as the pair broke serve in that game and won the first set.

Having won the first set and taken a 3-0 lead in the second set, the iconic duo gave the fans their money’s worth with an excellent point. While Alcaraz made reflex volleys at the net, Williams ran around the baseline to make a great backhand, the duo won a point that brought the whole of Arthur Ashe Stadium to its feet.

Carlos Alcaraz Lets Serena Williams Take the Charge During Their Mixed Doubles Stint

The match featuring Alcaraz and Williams was a broadcaster’s delight, with on-court interviews during changeovers, making it more fun for the players and the audience. Alcaraz spilled the beans about their team strategy, which involved just listening to Serena’s tips during the match.

“When next to the one and only Serena Williams, So what else Can I do? You know just enjoy, trying to do you know the things she told me to do..,” said Alcaraz during the changeover interview. When interviewer Andrea Petkovic had a cheeky question for Williams, checking in to see if the Spaniard really abided by the veteran’s advice, “Yes he does,” was the reply from the 23-time Major champion, which had both her and Alcaraz smiling.

Indeed, Alcaraz couldn’t have asked for a better doubles partner than Serena. Apart from her legendary resume in singles, the American has fourteen doubles titles at Grand Slams with her sister Venus, while also winning two mixed doubles titles at Wimbledon and at the US Open back in 1998, while partnering with Max Mirnyi.

Carlos Alcaraz and Serena Williams Lose in Their Second Round Match

The fans’ expectations were slightly dashed, as there was only one victory for Williams and Alcaraz on Arthur Ashe, losing 4-5 (4), 1-4 to the team of Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli. However, for two iconic champions like Alcaraz and Williams, the result was less important than the fun moments they created on court.

“I feel great. Even if I lost, playing with her, I’m feeling amazing.” said Alcaraz while cooling down after their loss in the backroom, with Serena filming a video of them together, which she shared on Instagram. She was upbeat about their performance, claiming, “We won! We won 1 we lost 1.” The Spaniard agreed, saying, “Yeah, we tied”.

While the duo managed to keep the first set against Cobolli and Bencic close, losing it in the tiebreak, the second was a bit of a one-sided traffic for the Italian-Swiss pair, with Alcaraz not looking at his best.

Tennis Insider Gives His Verdict on Carlos Alcaraz and Serena Williams’ Form

It goes without saying that almost all tennis pundits had their eyes on Alcaraz‘s form during the mixed doubles competition. Having decided to defend his title in the singles at Flushing Meadows, the Spaniard’s level of play after recovering from the injury, prompted tennis insider Jose Morgado to offer his opinion.

“Serena was AMAZING. Maybe even regretting not playing singles next week. Alcaraz looked super rusty, which is normal,” said Morgado on X. “Gotta need to improve that serve (almost just kicked and sliced and never served over 185km/h all day) and forehand a lot for singles.”

While a US Open wild card for Serena Williams had been widely speculated, the six-time Flushing Meadows champion has not taken one. For now, that leaves her Wimbledon appearance as the only singles match she has played since returning to competitive tennis. On the other hand, Alcaraz will potentially need to get sharper with his serve and forehand if he has to make a deep run at the tournament.