Sports

U.S. Open mixed doubles: Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz steal show in defeat as singles stars triumph

Published

1 day ago

August 25, 2026

NEW YORK — After five-and-a-half hours of opening acts, the main event of the first day of the U.S.Open got underway when Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz walked onto the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

There was just a bit of noise. The sort of noise that only rises through stadiums for generational talents who just happen to have been away from a sport for longer than any of that sport’s fans might have liked — four months for Alcaraz, and the better part of four years for Williams.

It rattled around the steel and concrete of the biggest stadium in tennis in a way that becomes something felt instead of heard. A point into their match, Williams closed in on a floating return and smashed it through the court, letting out one of those patented grunts, and off they went.

Williams, 44, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion and 16-time Grand Slam doubles champion, the GOAT of women’s tennis to many, is enjoying one of those last rides in the sunset that few expected, especially her.

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How long will it last? Days? Into next season? No one really knows, though she swears it won’t be long. Williams did not take a wild card into the singles competition, leaving women’s doubles with her sister Venus, with whom she won 14 of those Grand Slam doubles titles, as her only other event at this tournament

Alcaraz, 23, is still in the early years of what should be an epic career, though a worrisome wrist injury has him and much of the sport wondering what his immediate future will look like. He has seven Grand Slam singles titles already, including one of each, the youngest man ever to accomplish that.

How’s that for a magnetic pairing? And those screams. What a moment.

It got better. Down 3-1 in the first set against Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool, two seasoned doubles players, Alcaraz and Williams came alive to reel off eight of the next nine games, two all-time greats shedding the rust and riding pure talent and instinct to overcome and overpower rivals who know the geometry of the doubles court much better than them, but did not know what had hit them. Routliffe maybe knew a little too well, having faced Williams thrice this summer with one win to show for it.

There was Alcaraz doing those crazy Alcaraz things — the lunging miracle touch volleys, the impossible gets, the smile lighting up the building. There was Williams, rocketing aces and finding angles that looked impossible until the ball left her strings and curved exactly where she asked it to go.

“She made it really easy for me,” Alcaraz said on the court after a 5-3, 4-1 win in this fast-four format, the second edition of the U.S. Open’s mixed doubles that was redesigned to favor singles star power — and to bring in a much larger check for the winners — in 2025.

Williams was equally effusive.

“This is such a bonus,” she said. “To play with Carlos is honestly so cool.”

Gaël Monfils and Elina Svitolina sit side-by-side, Svitolina smiling and gesturing toward Monfils.

Gaël Monfils and Elina Svitolina brought more joy to the crowds at the U.S. Open during Fan Week. (Timothy A. Clary / AFP via Getty Images)

There was plenty that Alcaraz couldn’t yet do as he returns from his right wrist injury. His serve speeds were way off their peak. He looked rusty. What his time on court with Williams said about his quest to defend his singles title likely won’t be legible until he plays his first-round match next week.

Elsewhere, it was another test of concept for the U.S. Open’s choice to remake a competition and, in so doing, alienate the people who have dedicated their careers to playing it.

Last year, after being maligned out of the competition that they had won in the previous one, Italy’s Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori knocked down a clutch of boldface singles names to win the title and take home $1 million. This year, after a qualifying event brought even more bona fide doubles teams into the competition, including world No. 1s Kateřina Kateřina Siniaková and Henry Patten, such an outcome looked likely again.

It turned out, not so much. The semifinals could have been all doubles specialists. In the end, they were all singles. Siniaková and Patten knocked off Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic with consummate ease after a loose opening set, but Gaël Monfils and Elina Svitolina, the husband-and-wife duo, edged them out in a 10-point deciding tiebreak. Routliffe and Glasspool fell to Alcaraz and Williams. And Errani and Vavassori lost a match tiebreak of their own to Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev.

Come Wednesday, it will be Svitolina and Monfils against Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli, the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells mixed doubles champions who toppled Alcaraz and Williams. Andreeva and Rublev will play Jakub Menšík and Karolína Muchová, who just might be the tennis favorites, with Menšík’s lethal serve and Muchová’s gossamer touch.

But for vibes, on a day that was full of them? Monfils and Svitolina, who lit up the crowd from start to finish, are undefeated among the last four.

“We understand each other by the look,” Svitolina said. “we can find the right words for each other.”

Mixed doubles can be an odd discipline, all about quickness and angles and surprise. But vibes, of every kind, can go a long way too.

Sports

Kinley Rasmus’ Little League World Series is over, but her legacy will live on

Published

3 minutes ago

August 27, 2026

qasimgillani

Kinley Rasmus’ portion of the 2026 Little League Baseball World Series story is now written and sealed after her Alabama team was eliminated Wednesday. Her legacy, however, will echo.

Every August, when the LLBWS record books reopen, her name will line them for what she did over the last week in Williamsport.

The 12-year-old two-way star went out fairly quietly, going 0-for-1 at the plate in her Phenix City, Ala. team’s 11-2 loss to Hamilton, Ohio, in the U.S. Elimination Bracket Semifinal. It was her team’s second loss and the end of her run.

But she displayed dominance along the way.

In five games, Rasmus took the mound twice, logging 14 strikeouts. At the plate, she powered her team’s offense, collecting five hits and three RBIs. She tied Mo’ne Davis for the most strikeouts by a girl in a tournament, and set the record for the most hits by a girl.

Just stepping into Williamsport, her name was added to an exclusive group that graced the LLBWS stage. Rasmus became the 25th girl to play in the tournament’s 79-year history and the ninth to pitch in the competition. However, her showing outclassed them all, displaying a shutdown arm commensurate to her pop at the plate.

It runs in her blood. Her father, Cory Rasmus, pitched in MLB, and her uncle, Colby, was a big-league outfielder for 10 years. Her grandfather, Tony, played in the minors but coached Cory and Colby together on the 1999 Phenix City LLBWS team that made the final against the eventual champion from Japan.

Phenix City hadn’t made it to Williamsport in the 27 years since.

Though short-lived, the bar Kinley set on both sides of the ball will live in perpetuity. When the next girl takes the mound at the LLBWS, she’ll be eyeing the strikeout record Rasmus shares with Davis. And when the next girl steps into the batter’s box, she’ll be striving for the mark that Rasmus holds alone.

History now bears the Rasmus name.

There to chase, or simply as a reminder, for years to come.

Sports

How to watch Rockies vs. Nationals: TV channel and streaming options for August 26

Published

10 minutes ago

August 27, 2026

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Connor Norby rides a 10-game hitting streak into the Colorado Rockies’ game against the Washington Nationals, at 6:45 p.m. ET on Wednesday, at Nationals Park. Matt Waldron (1-2, 7.54 ERA) gets the start for the Nationals, who are 62-72 this season and fourth in the NL East. Tanner Gordon (0-4, 5.75 ERA) is expected to start for the Rockies, who are 51-81 and fifth in the NL West.

How to watch Colorado Rockies vs. Washington Nationals

Rockies vs. Nationals odds

Favorite Moneyline: Nationals -139
Underdog Moneyline: Rockies +115
Total: 9
Total Over Odds: +100
Total Under Odds: -128

Injury reports

Nationals

James Wood: 10 Day IL (Oblique), Drew Millas: 10 Day IL (Finger), Josiah Gray: 60 Day IL (Elbow), DJ Herz: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Ken Waldichuk: 60 Day IL (Forearm), Richard Lovelady: 60 Day IL (Tricep), Mitchell Parker: 60 Day IL (Elbow), PJ Poulin: 60 Day IL (Flexor), Connelly Early: 60 Day IL (Elbow)

Rockies

Kyle Freeland: 15 Day IL (Neck), Sean Sullivan: 15 Day IL (Undisclosed), Chase Dollander: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Kris Bryant: 60 Day IL (Back), José Quintana: 60 Day IL (Elbow), McCade Brown: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), RJ Petit: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Welinton Herrera: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Pierson Ohl: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Kyle Karros: 7 Day IL (Concussion)

Stats to know

Washington’s C.J. Abrams has hit 29 home runs this season, which ranks 11th in MLB. He has also tallied 92 RBIs (4th in MLB) and has scored 79 runs. In 543 plate appearances, he has recorded a .276 BA, .352 OBP and .525 SLG with an 8.7% walk rate and a 23.4% strikeout rate. He has been effective on the base paths, recording 26 steals on 31 attempts.
In 548 plate appearances, Daylen Lile is hitting .249/.297/.418 with a .716 OPS and 13 steals on 19 attempts. He has hit 17 long balls, driven in 72 runs and scored 67 times.
Colorado’s Jake McCarthy is slashing .292/.333/.479 this season with 13 home runs, 68 RBIs and an OPS of .812. He has a 16.9% strikeout rate and a 5.2% walk rate in 461 plate appearances, and he has scored 62 total runs. McCarthy has recorded 23 steals on 27 attempts.
In 515 plate appearances, TJ Rumfield has posted a 14.4% strikeout rate and a 10.3% walk rate while slashing .286/.371/.437 with 13 home runs, 60 RBIs and 54 runs scored.

This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.

Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.

Photo: Jamie Squire, Ishika Samant, Scott Taetsch, Alika Jenner / Getty Images

Sports

How to watch Royals vs. Blue Jays: TV channel and streaming options for August 26

Published

16 minutes ago

August 27, 2026

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The Kansas City Royals will look to keep a nine-game winning streak alive when they visit the Toronto Blue Jays at 7:07 p.m. ET on Wednesday. Spencer Miles (5-2, 3.02 ERA) gets the start for the Blue Jays, who are 64-69 this season and fifth in the AL East. Randy Dobnak (2-1, 1.58 ERA) is the expected starter for the Royals, who are 59-74 and fifth in the AL Central.

How to watch Kansas City Royals vs. Toronto Blue Jays

Royals vs. Blue Jays odds

Favorite Moneyline: Blue Jays -161
Underdog Moneyline: Royals +135
Total: 8.5
Total Over Odds: -115
Total Under Odds: -105

Injury reports

Blue Jays

Josh Smith: 10 Day IL (Hamstring), Luis Urias: 10 Day IL (Quadricep), Jonatan Clase: 10 Day IL (Foot), Shane Bieber: 15 Day IL (Back), Jameson Taillon: 15 Day IL (Forearm), Trey Yesavage: 15 Day IL (Knee), Cody Ponce: 60 Day IL (Knee), Anthony Santander: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Jake Bloss: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Bowden Francis: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Joe Mantiply: 60 Day IL (Knee), Addison Barger: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Yimi Garcia: 60 Day IL (Elbow), José Berrios: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Patrick Corbin: 60 Day IL (Shoulder)

Royals

Maikel Garcia: 10 Day IL (Hamstring), Tony Gonsolin: 15 Day IL (Elbow), Beck Way: 15 Day IL (Back), Jonathan India: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Cole Ragans: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Luinder Avila: 60 Day IL (Forearm), Alec Marsh: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Carlos Estévez: 60 Day IL (Foot), Nick Mears: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Stephen Kolek: 60 Day IL (Flexor), Connor Seabold: 60 Day IL (Lat), James McArthur: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Jac Caglianone: day-to-day (Ankle), Michael Massey: day-to-day (Head)

Stats to know

Ernie Clement is hitting for a .283 BA, .308 OBP and .401 SLG with a 9.6% strikeout rate and a 3.5% walk rate. His OPS is .709 and he has scored 54 runs. In 519 plate appearances, he has hit nine home runs and driven in 43 runs.
In 499 plate appearances, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has slashed .262/.335/.354 this season. He has hit seven long balls and driven in 46 runs with a strikeout rate of 13% and a walk rate of 9.4%. He has seven stolen bases on 10 attempts. He has come around to score 62 times.
Bobby Witt Jr. has hit 16 home runs this season. He has also tallied 48 RBIs and has scored 72 runs. In 504 plate appearances, he has recorded a .288 BA, .365 OBP and .458 SLG with a 10.7% walk rate and a 17.7% strikeout rate. He has been effective on the base paths, recording 35 steals on 42 attempts.
In 469 plate appearances, Jac Caglianone has slashed .276/.328/.491 this season. He has hit 22 long balls and driven in 60 runs with a strikeout rate of 26% and a walk rate of 6.2%. and has scored 59 runs.

This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.

Photo: Jamie Squire, Ishika Samant, Scott Taetsch, Alika Jenner / Getty Images